


I'm Gonna Be Alright (If I Believe In You)

by baeconandeggs, hypocriticalkiss



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Worlds, Elf!Park Chanyeol, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Human Byun Baekhyun, M/M, Magical Elements, Modern Fantasy, Sexual Content, Slow Burn, bae2020, eventual angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:15:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 61,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24652174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baeconandeggs/pseuds/baeconandeggs, https://archiveofourown.org/users/hypocriticalkiss/pseuds/hypocriticalkiss
Summary: When Baekhyun visited his grandmother in her province for the first time, he wasn’t expecting much. He wasn’t expecting to find a well in the backyard of his grandmother’s house, hidden in a secluded and forest-like area. He wasn’t expecting the sun above him to turn black, covering him in shadow as he fell into it, either. Most of all, he wasn’t expecting to wake up in a completely different world, clinging tight to the chest of a stranger.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol, Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Jongin | Kai
Comments: 18
Kudos: 228
Collections: BAE2020





	I'm Gonna Be Alright (If I Believe In You)

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt:** BAE1319  
>  **Disclaimer: baeconandeggs/the mods is/are not the author/s of this story. Authors will be credited and tagged after reveals.** The celebrities' names/images are merely borrowed and do not represent who the celebrities are in real life. No offense is intended towards them, their families or friends. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this fictional work. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> **Author's Note:** After countless nights staying awake to pour my heart into this fic, here it is. I want to thank the prompter; your prompt caught my eye immediately and sparked my imagination for months. I want to say that this was not an easy fic to write, it was a lot to take on, but I'm so happy with what I've managed to make of it. Prompter, this fic is for you, and I sincerely hope you enjoy every detail. 
> 
> Thank you to the BAE mods, without whom I wouldn't be here today! No seriously, thank you. For being so understanding and the best mods ever. This fest is quite literally a dream of mine to participate in and I cannot wait. 
> 
> Lastly, to the reader, I just want to say a huge thank you. Like always, I really hope you enjoy this and can sympathize with the characters (especially Baekhyun). I hope this fic makes you happy, sad, and all the emotions in between (it's a happy ending, I promise!). 
> 
> To anyone who wants to know: the extreme slow burn is worth it. Hang in there. :)

_Dec. 25th, 2019._

‘Baekhyun, you lazy ass, wake up! Do you know how late it is already? Do you _want_ to miss Christmas?’

Baekhyun groaned inwardly as he felt the blankets around him torn off of his body, his cocoon of warmth being stolen from him as he blinked his puffy eyes up to see who the culprit that disturbed his sleep was. 

_Oh. Oh Sehun._

‘Sehun, give me a break will you? It’s not even eight in the morning yet, give me back my covers!’ Baekhyun rasped as he played tug of war with Sehun (his cousin and _kinda_ only life-long best friend, just don’t tell Sehun that). And just by Baekhyun's luck, he was also one of the only two people he knew in Gyeonggi, beside his grandmother. Perfect. 

After wrestling with Sehun to give him his pillow back for about five minutes, Baekhyun gave in and decided to listen to Sehun as he whined ‘ _Baekhyun, grandma already has our presents waiting downstairs. AND breakfast! She’s gonna slap me with that damn wooden spoon of hers if I don’t bring you to eat in the next second!’._ As much as Baekhyun protested, he knew Sehun was right. They’d only been at their grandmother's house for a couple of days and Baekhyun’s arm had been hit with his Grandma’s beloved wooden spoon far too many times to _count._ He swore the next time he comes back to Gyeonggi, he’s bringing armour. 

Today was Christmas, the second last day of Baekhyun’s week long trip to Gyeonggi province and only the fourth day he’s spent with Sehun (who he managed to convince help cure his boredom and hop on the next train to grandma’s house; _Sehun, she’s making me try and learn how to crochet my own stocking. You gotta save me here,_ Baekhyun whined on the phone during his first day visiting his grandmother, in which Sehun happily obliged as long as he could eat all of Baekhyun’s Christmas chocolate). 

Usually, Baekhyun would be apprehensive about spending such an important holiday at his grandmother’s house, after all, it was usually his grandmother who visited _him_ in Seoul, not the other way around. However, Baekhyun was 27 years old, and after years of his mother nagging him to ‘pay his dear, lonely grandma a holiday visit’, he finally decided to give in. 

He’d never been to Gyeonggi, this was his first time staying at his Grandma’s house, but the winter weather was forgiving, blanketing Gyeonggi in a thick crisp that amounted to frost in the morning, and a comfortable chill in the afternoon. The timing was kind of perfect for Baekhyun; his brother was visiting home from college that Christmas, and instead of sitting at the dinner table awkwardly while his mother and father compare Baekbom’s successful career as a lawyer to Baekhyun’s sleep-until-2pm-gamer-homebody lifestyle, Baekhyun decided it’s about time he visited his grandma. Besides, he loved her and he loved her company. 

Although his first day in Gyeonggi was kind of awkward (with Baekhyun’s grandma asking a million questions on if he found a girlfriend yet, when he’ll move out of his parents house and _What exactly is a Twitch stream, Baekhyun?_ ), he quickly found his footing in her quiet lifestyle and her unique antics that would amuse him and Sehun for hours. 

Baekhyun was most intently fond of the garden in his grandmother’s backyard, he’d never seen such a beautiful, green, lush space; every day since he’s been at the house, he’s spent hours outside in the garden, braving the cold just to view the greenery and to feel the security being in such a secluded space offered him. His grandmother’s garden extended for what felt like forever, the little cobblestone paths she had placed years ago withering away and being overtaken by moss and weeds. Baekhyun felt it was absolutely charming. Given the chance, he thinks he could spend forever in that garden, lost in his own world and in his own thoughts. _If only,_ he thought. 

‘Earth to Baekhyun, come in Baekhyun…’ Baekhyun heard his thoughts regarding the past few days disrupted once again by none other than Sehun. ‘Finally, you’re back. You zoned out for a solid minute there. I’ve never seen such a blank look on your face, it almost looked _stupid_ ’ Sehun laughed at the breakfast table; yes it was Christmas day yet Sehun’s antics never took a break for _anything_ (in which Baekhyun was grateful, he _did_ zone out for a while there). 

‘Oh stop it, you two’ Baekhyun’s eyes shifted towards his grandma, who was cleaning up the dishes left behind from breakfast as the two cousins sat at the table, ‘Enough bickering. You’re worse than an old married couple, my God!’

Sehun and Baekhyun looked at each other in sync, fearing another hit from that damn wooden spoon until they heard their grandmother yell out, ‘Let’s open your presents now, hmm?’.

Baekhyun’s eyes crinkled with joy as he watched his grandma open his presents to her, a hand-made card as well as very immaturely done half-crocheted socks from the extra yarn his grandma had, to which he told her ‘They’re more toe warmers, really’. She hugged him just as tight as if it were a whole pair of socks, anyway. 

He received some of his own crocheted socks too, it turns out, with the letter ‘B’ stitched into the ankle which set them apart from the ‘S’ pair that Sehun received. It wasn’t what he was used to getting for Christmas, but Baekhyun was overjoyed. _Maybe by next Christmas I’ll be good enough to stitch a G,_ he thought, already planning future trips to Gyeonggi (maybe not with Sehun, perhaps). 

The morning passed and Baekhyun felt humbled as he spent it with his grandma and Sehun, his usual Christmas days were filled with stress and planning for his mother’s huge Christmas dinner for the whole neighborhood to attend, which was quite different from the relaxing day Baekhyun was enjoying. He was more of an introvert, preferring to stay in bed or at home with a few people rather than out-and-about socializing. Baekhyun appreciated the quiet, calm activities which filled his day; he wore his ‘B’ socks with pride and helped take down the Christmas tree and decorations, and even hummed along with his grandma as she sang Christmas carols from the television. 

Just as Baekhyun was cleaning up the table from a round of Christmas bingo ( _the prize was a random puzzle box Sehun found in the house - Sehun accidentally dropped the box as he was giving Baekhyun the prize for winning. ‘Accidentally’, was the word he used_ ), his grandma pulled him aside and into the kitchen, out of Sehun’s view. 

‘Baekhyun! I actually wanted to give you another present other than the one I made you, without… how do I say this…’ She pointed behind her to where Sehun must have been sitting through the kitchen wall, guestering towards him as she whispered ‘without your cousin over there thinking I choose favorites.’ She gave Baekhyun her best eye smile as she reached into her pocket and held out a tiny box, tinier than Baekhyun had imagined could hold a gift. It was small and wooden, and looked like it belonged in the 18th century from the state it was in. It had wonderful floral detailing on the outside, and little carved inscriptions that resembled stars. It couldn’t be… 

‘Grandma, you bought me _jewellery?_ ’ Baekhyun whispered. He couldn’t believe it. I mean, he did enjoy wearing rings recently but how did his Grandma know, she hadn’t seen him for months…

‘I didn’t buy you anything, boy’ his grandma scoffed, opening up the small box and showing Baekhyun what lay inside, ‘I wanted to give this to you. I found it in the backyard when I moved here years ago, yet I never had any desire to wear it or give it to someone. I was on the phone with your Mother when she mentioned you have a thing for rings, and well… I thought it’d suit you. Seeing how much you’ve been enjoying the garden made me think it would look perfect on you, and remind you of your old Grandma here.’

Baekhyun was touched. He looked down at the ring, it _was_ really pretty; it was silver, and more on the thicker side of rings, which he didn’t mind. Across the outside of the ring were tiny crosses, with such beautiful detailing that they almost resemble stars more than crosses. Baekhyun overturned the ring in his hand and put it on his ring finger; it was a perfect fit. It was only when he turned his hand outwards to see how it looked like next to the rest of his rings did he realize that there was a little inscription on one side, the word ‘ _forever_ ’ written in the tiniest letters Baekhyun had ever seen. It was simply beautiful. 

‘God, I can’t believe this… It’s beautiful, Grandma’ Baekhyun turned his head and looked at her, her crinkly eyes smiling up at him as he pulled her in for a hug, ‘It’s just my taste. _Thank you.’_

-

_December 26th, 2019._

“Wait wait wait…. There’s a _what_ outside?’ Sehun yelled from the living room, immersed in the Harry Potter rerun that was airing on the Discovery channel. ‘You’re serious? A ring of fire?’ 

Baekhyun hummed as he scrolled through the news article on his phone, reading about the annual solar eclipse that was happening today, December 26th. ‘Well, they call it a ring of fire, but really it’s just a solar eclipse. You know, where the moon, Earth and Sun are aligned? Supposedly it’s visible in the Eastern hemisphere, this article here says we’re in the optimal viewing range for it!’ 

He had heard that there was going to be a solar eclipse near Christmas, but he didn’t know it was _today_ . Baekhyun found it really cool, he had never really been that interested in cosmetology or the planets, but he has to admit, a ‘ring of fire’ in the sky was a pretty awesome late Christmas present. Maybe today was his lucky day. 

‘Man, that stuff creeps me out. Makes me remember this one end of the world movie I watched when I was twelve, black outs in the sky just scare the crap out of me,’ Sehun sighed, trying to focus on the scene in front of him. He noticed Baekhyun intently scrolling through his phone, he had been reading about this solar eclipse thing for twenty minutes now. ‘Baek, you should go and take a look! Take your camera outside and take some photos for grandma to look at once she gets back from the Christmas market. I bet she’d love to see and… it’s better to go and look than try to live through other peoples’ photos of it on Facebook, y’know?’ 

Baekhyun chuckled at that one, he admits he _did_ bring his camera, and taking a few photos outside wouldn’t hurt. Besides, when is the next time he’d be able to see a literal ring of fire right there in the sky? 

‘Okay,’ Baekhyun said, getting up from the couch and quickly slipping on his sneakers and hoodie as he grabbed his camera from his backpack, ‘I’ll go take a look in the backyard. I’ll be back soon, okay? If grandma comes back while I’m gone just tell her I’ve gone exploring back there. I want to surprise her with these photos!’ He smiled. 

‘Okie dokie, I’ll be here. Don’t get lost in the weeds!’ Sehun teased. Baekhyun was already out the back door before he could hear him say the last part, though. 

Baekhyun maneuvered his way through the garden, down the little stone paths that were mostly covered in dirt and frost, and through the thick bush and scraggly plants that littered the ground. He just had to find his way out of the trees, to a clear area where he could see the eclipse more clearly and really get a good photo to show his grandma and Sehun. Baekhyun was determined. 

He descended a tiny, hilly slope, pushing more branches out of his way as he walked off the garden path and through an opening he found that would take him to a clearing just up ahead. _Grandma really needs to hire a landscaper or something,_ Baekhyun thought as he fought off the last of the branches as he finally reached the clearing. His new black sneakers were kind of dirty from all of the debris he had to walk through, yet Baekhyun was distracted from the view above him. 

The sky was shadowed in darkness as the moon approached the Sun, an amazing orangey-black hue blanketing the sky as the eclipse neared totality. Baekhyun could see that the Sun was almost entirely covered, he needed to find a perfect spot to take photos as the alignment hit and the solar eclipse was at full potential. _I need to act fast,_ Baekhyun thought as he scoured the open space in front of him for a better viewpoint to take photos from. He started walking his way towards the middle of the spacious opening; the grass here was shorter, more trimmed, and not nearly as frosty as it was back in the garden. The quietness and tranquility around Baekhyun grew the further he walked inward toward the middle of the opening, it was almost as if he entered a different dimension. _It’s hard to believe that Sehun’s just back at the house about a 5 minute walk from here_ , Baekhyun thought. As he approached the exact middle, a tiny grey circle came into view; once Baekhyun got closer, he realized it for what it was. 

Baekhyun had found a well. 

The placement of it was odd; it was in the middle of nowhere, and so far away from the house; surely if his grandma had once retrieved water from here, it’d be too long of a walk to haul it back to the house, right? Baekhyun pondered about the peculiarity of the well as he walked around it, looking down into it’s black opening and shivering at the thought of how deep it must go. It was almost immaculately built, with the grey stones outlining the circle almost looking brand new, as if someone had been taking care of it for all of these years. The grass around the circumference of the well was trimmed too, which was odd considering the state of the rest of the garden. 

_Well that’s weird,_ Baekhyun thought, crouching down to try and make out through the shadows what exactly lay at the bottom of the well, _there’s not even a rope or hook to attach a water bucket. How is anyone supposed to get water from this thing?_

Just as Baekhyun was about to throw a random stone down the well to see how deep it was, the sky was swallowed by a sheet of darkness. ‘The eclipse!’ Baekhyun thought as he turned around and faced the sky, grabbing his camera out of his pocket and positioning it in front of his face to snap the perfect photo. He knew that once the moon, Earth and Sun were aligned, he didn’t have much time to take photos of the fiery ring before it disappeared for God knows _how_ long. 

Baekhyun couldn’t believe his eyes, it was just what the article had described; the entire Sun was engulfed by the black presence of the moon, a fiery, red and ginormous ring surrounding the circle and creating a blazing monument right there in the sky. It was beautiful, it reminded Baekhyun of the campfires he would have at home in his backyard with Sehun, or the glimmering candles his grandma had littered around her house as the Sun made its descent at the end of the day. It reminded Baekhyun of the fire that would sometimes consume his dreams, right from when he was a little boy for some unknown reason. He knew that fire was seen as a threat, yet the sight in front of him filled his mind with power, beauty and warmth. The ring of fire in the sky was absolutely _beautiful._

He knew that it wouldn’t last forever, though. Baekhyun had to act fast if he wanted photos that were good enough to impress his grandmother and even impress his family once he brought the photos back home after Christmas. He positioned his lens at the ring, taking multiple photos from different angles and exposures just in case he didn’t get the fiery hue just right. _God, I need a lower angle,_ Baekhyun thought as he crouched down in front of the well, wanting to be lower to the ground in order to capture the branch line of the trees against the orangey dim lighting of the sky. 

When Baekhyun took his last photos, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride for being able to capture the moment in front of him on film. He was getting antsy to get back and show the photos to Sehun, he couldn’t believe the perfect angle this little clearing in the garden gave him and he was loving it. 

However, just as Baekhyun took his last photo, a searing pain wrapped around his ring finger, the same finger that he wore his new ring on. Baekhyun winced in pain, an intense, fiery-like feeling spreading through his body from his hands into his chest. He took his hand off of where it was placed on the ground and clutched his abdomen; it felt like a searing pain was overtaking his entire being. Baekhyun’s vision clouded as the pain rocked his system, his ring finger _hurt_ in the most indescribable pain imaginable; it wasn’t like anything he had ever experienced before. He tried to regain his composure as he motioned to stand up from his crouched position on the ground, however before he could fully rise to a standing position, Baekhyun felt something _push_ desperately against his chest, pushing him back similar to a strong gust of wind. 

Baekhyun’s heart dropped in his chest as he realized he lost his footing, the well far too close and directly behind him. He heard what sounded like the stones of the well moving, almost expanding behind him to accommodate his size as he fell in, head first and chest on fire.

The fiery ring of the Sun became impossibly huge as Baekhyun continued to fall, its size magnifying against the shadowed sky. Baekhyun knew he was falling; he knew that the well had swallowed him and most importantly, he knew that next to _no one_ would ever think to look for Baekhyun inside such a thing, of all places. The last thing he focused on before his world turned black was his ring finger, or more specifically, the ring that his grandma had given him. It was searing his skin, the heat from the silver radiating off of the tiny object and hurting Baekhyun in the most specific way. It was almost as if the fire in the sky had moved inside the ring; it was glowing, the crosses illuminated in red from what appeared to be the inside. Baekhyun quickly turned his hand around to read the writing on the opposite side, etched into tiny but easy-to-make-out letters of fire, glowing impossibly in the dark space surrounding him as he fell. 

Baekhyun read the word and felt his heartbeat quicken as his vision turned to black; as he read, it felt like he almost heard a faint voice whisper inside his head, loud and clear. 

_Forever._

-

The fire that was once within him was gone, and the inferno extending from his chest to his fingers was a distant memory the more he stayed in the murky water. 

He couldn’t breathe.

Baekhyun’s limbs felt as if they were ice, he couldn’t open his eyes, everything was muffled… He was underwater, and had little to no strength to swim upwards. He felt impossibly cold; he would do anything to feel the burning sensation he felt only a moment before, he needed to escape the icy underwater hell around him. His wet clothes weighed down his body. Baekhyun slashed his arms around, the insistent urge to gasp for breath almost overwhelming; he couldn’t find the surface, his sense of direction completely washed away with the water and was stolen from him from his descent into the well. He didn’t _remember_ hitting water once he reached the bottom of the well, he couldn’t remember anything at all except for the fiery ring, both in the sky and wrapped around his finger. 

Just as Baekhyun was about to feel the last bit of warmth escape his body, he felt something grab his arm and _pull._ He could sense the force of the entity that was trying to grab him; Baekhyun didn’t have the strength to open his eyes, all he could do was float while trying to hold onto the last bit of his consciousness as he felt himself being dragged out of the water and onto the shore. The jacket around him, his shoes, his jeans… Everything was soaked, and he coughed out for air as soon as he hit the surface, barely clinging on to life as his body went weak. 

He felt his coat being shoved off of him, and two arms encircling his body as he was held. The fire that had previously left him was creeping back into his body, starting from his fingers (which were freezing) up into his chest; it took Baekhyun a few seconds to realize that someone was holding both of his hands between one huge one, the other hand was cradling his head as his head lay against an idle lap. 

‘Don’t worry, I’ve got you, help is on the way… I’ve got you close. We’ll chase the cold away.’ 

The man’s voice above him was deep, and _warm._ He didn’t know this person, yet Baekhyun was being spoken to with such reassurance and delicateness that he felt like he could put his entire life in this person’s hands. He trusted him. 

The last thing Baekhyun felt before he passed out from exhaustion was his body rising as he was being taken away from the water’s shore, and a warm chest. 

\---

Baekhyun groaned as he felt the blankets around him being torn away from his body, the warmth around him slowly disappearing as he felt the unwelcome feeling of deja-vu. His whole body felt sore, he craned his neck towards the light of the room and stretched. 

‘Sehun, please… Give me a break, I’m exhausted.’ 

‘ _Sir…._ I’m sorry to inform you, but I am not Sehun. My name is Zhang Yixing, do you mind opening your eyes for me? That’s better,’ the man in front of him spoke, his arms full of clothes and an extra pillow.

Baekhyun didn’t recognize this man at all, nor his surroundings. All he knew was that he was getting cold, and the fear that he felt before he passed out was creeping back into his system. ‘I’m sorry for disturbing you from your sleep, I was just trying to change your bed clothes. If you’ll give me a moment, I’ll be right on my way!’ 

Okay, _now_ Baekhyun was confused. Where exactly was he? Why can’t he remember _anything?_

‘Sir, you look really… bewildered’ Yixing spoke to him softly as he lifted his head to replace his pillow, a look of worry covering his face and his eyes widening at Baekhyun’s general look of disbelief. ‘Are you alright? Are you in pain?’ 

Baekhyun blinked, and looked down at his clothes once the blankets were replaced around him; _when did he change into pajamas? These pajamas aren’t even his!_

‘Um… Hi. I don’t exactly know where I am.’ Baekhyun said. _Great,_ he thought, _way to sound competent, Byun._

‘Oh! My apologies, I didn’t realize this was your first time waking up.’ Yixing cleared his throat and stepped back from the bed as he stood up. Baekhyun could see he was dressed in a white robe of sorts, his black hair was neatly (and stylishly, Baekhyun would admit) combed to one side and he was holding a clipboard, adorned with writing he couldn’t make out. 

‘You were admitted to the Lucky One Protection Foundation yesterday afternoon, after one of our trusted sponsors found you in a reservoir near the bridge down the road. You gave us all quite a scare; I wasn’t here when you were admitted, but Chanyeol told me that you were as cold as ice, barely visible underwater. He came to check on you this morning.’ Yixing finished with a smile, moving to sit on a chair near Baekhyun’s bedside. 

Baekhyun had so many questions, more than he could count. He still had no idea what he was doing here in the … _Lucky One_ Protection Foundation (what a weird name.. He felt the opposite of lucky in the current situation he was in), he couldn’t remember being found by a person _or_ being taken here. And who even was Chanyeol? 

‘Thanks for the explanation, doctor…?’ 

‘Doctor Zhang, but please, just call me Yixing.’ 

‘Thank you, Yixing, but I’m afraid I still don’t have the slightest idea of what I’m doing here,’ Baekhyun coughed out, the sore feeling in his ribs making it hard to enunciate his words; he felt like his voice was barely above a whisper. ‘The Lucky One Foundation? Where is that?’ 

‘The Lucky One _Protection_ Foundation, you mean,’ Yixing laughed, ‘The Lucky One Foundation is the name of the lottery system we have here.’ Baekhyun frowned. He was _so_ confused. 

Yixing continued, ‘Anyway, _Lucky One_ is Elyxion’s finest facility for those sickly and in need. We specialize in rare cases; we help people who would find receiving the same level of care in a regular hospital difficult. We’re sort of a protection agency, if you will. You were brought here because of your unique nature.’ 

As Yixing finished his explanation, Baekhyun’s heart rate started to quicken. He must be in some sort of dream; he felt like he was being spoken to in a different language with the way nothing Yixing said making logical sense to him. 

‘I’m not sure if you know this, but your disposition as a human puts you at risk for more than you’d be able to handle if we were to leave you to recover by yourself. Therefore, we took you in.’ Yixing smiled again, this time in reassurance and honesty. Baekhyun appreciated the gesture, but… 

‘My… disposition as a human? I’m so sorry, but I’m even more lost. I’d like an immediate discharge please, it’s Christmas and I need to get back to…’ Baekhyun paused. ‘Wait, where exactly am I, again?’ 

‘Elyxion, Sir.’ 

‘ _Elyxion?_ Is this not Earth?’ Baekhyun spoke louder. He could sense the tinge of annoyance in his voice, he was a tolerable person but he was getting fed up with this. He just wanted to go home. Baekhyun wanted to see Sehun, he wanted to walk through the garden and through the backdoor into his grandma’s kitchen… He wanted to wear his _own_ pajamas, instead of the white and red checkered ones they put on him. They were definitely not his taste. 

‘Ah, Chanyeol mentioned that we might have this predicament when you woke up. I’m sorry, but what’s your name, sir?’ Yixing’s voice was incredibly soft. 

He was looking at him with such care, as if he was a lost baby bird… Baekhyun was worried. ‘My name is Baekhyun. Byun Baekhyun.’

‘Well, Baekhyun, how do I say this… you sort of, well, you _did_ enter into our world last night, through a door that was long thought to be dormant. But don’t worry! We’ve had many people like you before, well, we’ve only had a couple of humans, but… like I said, don’t worry. It’ll be fine.’ 

Baekhyun was flabbergasted. _What?_

‘Um. What do you mean ‘it’ll be fine’? You must be joking! I didn’t want to come here, you seem awfully nice but I have no idea who you are, aren’t you human too? I wasn’t trying to come here…’ Baekhyun trailed off, recalling his last memory before he woke up in this hospital bed. _The well_ . 

He remembered that well, he remembered the feeling of being pushed and swallowed by fire as he descended into darkness, the ring of fire in the sky and the wind behind him as he fell deeper. He remembered the words ‘forever’ in tiny red writing, almost taunting him as he fell. Baekhyun looked down at his right hand as he remembered that writing, and there it was, right before him and on his ring finger; the ring his grandma gave him, the little ‘forever’ looking back at him and serving as a horrible memory of what happened to him yesterday (although it felt like a century ago). 

‘Baekhyun, you’re going to put yourself into a panic if you don’t listen to me right now. It truly will be _fine._ We have methods and precautions in place so you return to your world safely and in due time.’ Yixing walked towards where Baekhyun was laying in bed, and placed his hand on Baekhyun’s chest. ‘Please, trust me. We’ve got you. You need to let your mind rest now before I can let you do any more, I’m afraid.’ 

‘You don’t understand, I…’ Baekhyun grew quiet as he felt a surge of warmth and sleepiness overtake his senses as Yixing’s hand pushed slightly down on his chest, the world around him turning hazy and his eyelids growing heavy. ‘I have so many questions still, what is happening…’ 

‘And they’ll be answered in due time, I promise. Please sleep, Baekhyun.’ 

Yixing left his spot beside Baekhyun’s bed and moved to the door at the far end of the room, his white robe creating an angelic-like figure in Baekhyun’s imagination as he felt himself descend into sleep. He felt almost loopy, not as if he was under anaesthetic but as if he were in a dream and couldn’t tell reality from imagination. Before he could sleep soundly, though, he needed one more question answered. 

‘Yixing,’ Baekhyun called out, his voice barely audible to the man exiting the room. _What was that name Yixing mentioned to him again_ ? 

‘Who is… Who’s Chanyeol?’ 

The doctor paused as his hand turned the doorknob, turning around to face Baekhyun slightly as he examined the boy, who looked like he was on the verge of passing out. _Poor thing,_ Yixing thought, yet the look of curiosity in Baekhyun’s large but droopy eyes combined with the confused pout on his face convinced him to divulge the boy a little bit more, before he fell asleep for who knows how long. 

‘You’ll find out, soon enough.’ Yixing said, pausing before he continued, ‘He’s the one who pulled you out of the water.’ 

-

Baekhyun looked in the mirror. 

‘You’ve got to be kidding.’

To this he heard Yixing chuckle behind him, throwing a bag of clothes on the bed as he entered just in time to hear Baekhyun’s sigh of annoyance as he learned yet another new thing about this ‘world’. It wasn’t long before that Baekhyun woke up from his sleep; he felt it weird that he didn’t dream of anything, he was an avid dreamer and usually woke up recounting his recent dreams without fault. However, today when Baekhyun woke up, everything about him felt different; he felt new, energized, and a lot more clear compared to the hazy, foggy-like state he was in before he passed out. And as he looked in the mirror, he found that his general state of being isn’t the only thing that changed. 

‘I have _red hair?_ ’ Baekhyun exclaimed, first looking at Yixing and then the bag of clothes on the bed, and then once more at himself in the mirror. His usual brown hair was not the same as he remembered it; it was red (more like extremely burgundy-tinged, not as if it was dyed red but if it occurred naturally). He felt so annoyed; did someone dye his hair in his sleep? 

‘Ah, yeah… That seems to happen with people who enter our world unexpectedly. And it matters by how you entered it, as well. The red tinge of your hair and the date of which we found you here is no coincidence,’ Yixing said as he walked over to Baekhyun, both looking at the latter in the mirror, ‘I’m not that educated with the folklore, but it probably has something to do with the Solar Eclipse, I’m guessing. You’ll find out more in due time, once we get you out of this room.’ 

Baekhyun was shocked. It’s not that he didn’t like his new burgundy hair, he thought he looked rather handsome with it, actually (I should have tried this color before, Baekhyun thought). It was that he felt like an entirely different person. Previously, when he first woke up and recounted his memories of falling through the well, he felt so weak, almost on the verge of being lost forever. But now, Baekhyun felt more… _warm._ Not ‘cozy and on the verge of sleep’ warm, but almost like there was a fire within him desperately trying to escape; it fueled Baekhyun with a new source of energy, he felt strong, secure, independant. He loved this new feeling, compared to the clingy and desperate feelings that consumed him when he last woke up. 

‘I mean, I hope so… I guess that makes sense.’ Baekhyun started, ‘but Yixing, whatever you did to me while I slept, worked. I feel much better’ he finished with a small smile, silently thanking the doctor for working his magic on him when he was unconscious. Baekhyun hoped the glint in his eye and his weak attempt at a smile got the message across. 

‘I didn’t do anything to you, Baekhyun. You healed on your own.’ Yixing picked up the bag of clothes on the bed and walked towards him, handing him the (quite heavy, Baekhyun would say) duffel bag. ‘Now please, pick some clothes out and get dressed. I’m guessing you want to meet Chanyeol, hmm?’ 

\---

To say that Baekhyun was experiencing some sort of culture shock was an understatement. As soon as Yixing led him out of the tiny confines of his room, Baekhyun was taken aback at how home-y the interior of the building looked. It was as if he was back on Earth, but wasn’t. Walls filled with paintings, murals and mirrors lined the corridor that Yixing led him down, a long hallway lined with an even longer rug beneath his feet. The whole space was decorated meticulously without feeling cluttered, and upon further glance Baekhyun realized that the paintings on the wall were of people that certainly _looked_ like humans, but weren’t. There was always one characteristic that was off about them, either their eyes, hands, facial features or body proportions were different to that of a human, as if they were existing on the borderline between reality and fantasy. Just as Baekhyun felt like he found his footing in some sense of reality, he was once again as confused as ever; were these portraits? 

Yixing provided no explanation as they walked further down the hallway, passing by rooms that Baekhyun could only guess housed other patients similar to him and the ‘unique state’ he was in. He really had a million questions, but Yixing appeared distracted in his own thoughts, so Baekhyun opted to just remain silent. For now. 

They exited the hallway and entered a huge common room of sorts, filled with couches, tables and places for people to relax as they lounged. This room, too, was adorned with paintings and random knick-knacks everywhere; the amount of interior detailing was relentless. Baekhyun was impressed; it looked like some sort of winter chateau meant for couples to go on vacation in. Except instead of couples walking around arm-in-arm, the whole space was filled with the most random assortment of creatures that Baekhyun had ever seen. Sitting on the couches, at the tables, and throughout the common area he saw creatures that he never imagined existed even in his wildest dreams. Baekhyun knew he wasn’t dreaming, there’s no way he could make this up. 

Yixing sensed Baekhyun’s bewilderment. 

‘Baekhyun! Please don’t stare, it’s rude to the guests…’ He pulled Baekhyun by the arm, steering him not further into the common room but to an adjoining room; Baekhyun didn’t know where they were headed but he wanted to stay here and find out more about this place. He couldn’t help but be curious. 

‘Oh, sorry’ Baekhyun blushed, averting his eyes from the people in front of him and looking at Yixing, ‘Not to be, um… rude or anything like that, but who exactly are these people? I mean, _what_ are they?’ Baekhyun blushed. ‘Not to be rude.’ 

Yixing took a look at Baekhyun and then their surroundings, then back to Baekhyun as he chuckled and hooked his arm around the confused man, leading him to the adjoining room, ‘They’re people just like you! In need of our help. You know… Fairies, nymphs, water spirits, gnomes, sylphs… Basically, anyone around these parts that we see fit to take in and provide care for. We don’t discriminate.’ He ended his sentence with a smile, peering down at the shorter man whose eyes went wide at the mention of such unknown creatures (to him). 

‘You’ll get used to it in time. They’re not dangerous. You’ll make quick friends’

‘Friends? Exactly how long do you think I’m staying here?’ Baekhyun asked, no bite in his voice yet he realized how what he said could come off as hostile. ‘I’m sorry, I mean, when can I go home?’ 

‘Actually, we were just about to discuss that…’ Yixing said as he finished leading Baekhyun to the adjoining room, opening the stained glass door and finally letting Baekhyun see what was awaiting him on the other side. On the inside, there was a fireplace, with other people (however Baekhyun was sure they weren’t human) crowding around it; boisterous laughter filled the room as the two seemed to be walking in at the end of a joke. 

‘Everyone! I’ve brought Baekhyun. He feels much better today after his sleep.’ Yixing announced to the group of people, the dim lighting in the room making it hard for Baekhyun to make out individual faces. He could tell that these people weren’t just ordinary patients of the centre, though; an aura of importance and authority loomed around them. Instead of being scared of what were to come, Baekhyun felt safe. He felt like he could trust these people. 

‘Hi.... That’s me. Byun Baekhyun, nice to meet you all,’ Baekhyun spoke, finishing the last word with the best fake smile he could muster. He wanted to make a good impression on these people; he was raised to express gratitude and he bet that these people were in charge of his care. ‘Thank you for taking me in and for seeing that I’m well and healthy. I feel much better than before, the establishment you’re running here is really… something. It’s great!’ He swallowed the last word with a gulp, hoping he didn’t appear too eager. 

The rest of the group met Baekhyun with soft, genuine smiles. 

‘Please don’t thank us, Baekhyun. We’re lucky to have you! I hope Yixing’s done a good job in accommodating you in your first days waking up’ A man said from the middle of the group, adorned in a beautiful white silk shirt on top of his black dress pants. Baekhyun was speechless just by being the center of this man's attention; he was kinda breathtaking. ‘My name is Junmyeon, I’m the coordinating director of the Lucky One foundation as well as the one who’s in charge of the inpatients and outpatients. It’s so nice to finally meet you!’ 

Baekhyun shook an extended hand, relishing in the comfort this man brought him. 

‘I know you must have a lot of questions, so please, let’s sit down and chat,’ Junmyeon motioned towards a spare chair in front of the fireplace, the rest of the small group of people (about 4 or 5, Baekhyun figured) giving them their privacy as they sat down. 

‘You mentioned something about going home, exactly how much has Yixing told you?’ 

‘He…’ Baekhyun trailed off, trying desperately to remember those first moments of his first time waking up. ‘I’m sorry, it’s all still really new to me. This place, I mean. It feels like a dream, although I’m sure I don’t have the brains to make any of this up.’ Junmyeon smiled. 

Baekhyun sighed. ‘Yixing told me where I am, what type of care this foundation provides, where I was found… He mentioned Elyxion, and, well… basically, he informed me of my weak disposition as a human.’ He chuckled, it all sounded so strange when he said it out loud. He just wanted some answers. 

‘Weak is not the word for it, Baekhyun, you’re just unique. Please don’t question yourself, not for a moment. The fact that you’ve made it this far is a testament to your strength.’ Junmyeon spoke as if he was speaking directly from his heart, reassuring Baekhyun. ‘Yixing covered the basics, though. We’ve been overviewing your case for quite a while now, ever since you were first admitted you’ve been quite the conversation topic. It’s not every day we see a human randomly show up in our world. Rare, but not unusual.’

The man paused. ‘We’ve been deliberately investigating the origin of your arrival, or should I say, how exactly it is you came here. You were found on December 26th, and taking into account you were found near freezing in the water, we figure that you weren’t there for that long prior. I’m afraid you partook in a rare phenomenon that occurs every solar eclipse, in which-’ 

‘I’m aware of what a solar eclipse is, thank you,’ Baekhyun interrupted. ‘That makes sense, actually! It’s the last thing I remember. I remember going out to take photos of the eclipse in the backyard, and falling down a well when the sun was entirely covered, as if something were pushing me.’ 

‘Ah, we figured you went through some type of channel from your world to ours. The distinct positioning of the planets that occurs during a solar eclipse opens up channels for people to freely enter and leave our world, you see. Much of our being is tied to the Sun and its power.’ Junmyeon said, toying with the free string dangling from the neck of his shirt. Baekhyun still couldn’t get over how damn breathtaking he was (he’ll shyly admit). ‘It’s known to creatures of our world that these channels, or portals appear spontaneously during an eclipse, and past portals that were dormant become active. They’re easy to predict due to simple astrology.’ 

Baekhyun mulled over the information in his head. It seems plausible enough… it’s already proven that anything he thought previously impossible could, in fact, be possible. He just needed to keep an open mind. 

He hoped the look in his eyes didn’t give away how low-key shocked he was at the new information. 

‘It’s not often that a human discovers one of these channels, let alone travels through them. You must have found a dormant channel on accident, and just so happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when it became active. Once they’re active, to people who haven’t experienced their pull before, they can become very enticing. We think that’s why you accidentally fell in,’ Junmyeon explained, ‘Unfortunately… It’s going to be a long while before the channels here open again. A solar eclipse is a rare occurrence, you see.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Baekhyun started, ‘Exactly how long do I have until it opens again? The channel, I mean. You guys are really hospitable here, but I’m sure you can understand how much I want to go home.’ 

He wasn’t sure what to expect. He missed waking up in his bed, he missed Sehun, his grandma, waking up late in the mornings in his own bed and making his own cup of coffee… He missed his _brown hair._ Baekhyun realized he didn’t _really_ have a lot to complain about, these people had taken him in and nursed him after all. But no matter what level of pampering he received, he couldn’t help but feel like this was a nightmare. All because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

‘The next solar eclipse occurs on June 21st, Baekhyun. Until then, we can keep you here and keep you company, make sure you're healthy for your journey back… but I’m afraid it’ll be a while until that happens. We’ve discussed this many times, there’s no way another portal specific to your world will open up again before that. I’m sorry.’ 

‘You’re sure? There’s not any date prior where I’d be able to travel back safely?’ 

‘Yes Baekhyun, we’re sure.’ spoke a voice from behind him; Baekhyun turned to see a woman, dressed entirely in black, black gloves covering her hands and dark bangs covering her forehead. ‘I’m sorry to interrupt such an important decision, but I’m the one who was the key manager of the logistics of your journey back. My name is Seulgi, Kang Seulgi.’ A gloved hand extended out to Baekhyun, which he apprehensively shook. He couldn’t see an inch of skin exposed except for this woman’s face; her eyes gleamed red in the dim lighting of the room. Her smile, kind and unforgiving. 

‘Our Seulgi here is a fire spirit, hence the covered hands. We wouldn’t want her to burn you,’ Junmyeon smiled, ‘She knows quite a lot about your world, especially concerning the powers brought by it’s solar eclipses. It’s because of Seulgi that we were able to make a link between your time of arrival and the positioning of the planets.’ 

‘It’s true! I was very impressed by your arrival, Baekhyun. I’m so glad to see you hear safe and relatively unscathed,’ Seulgi said, ‘Although, I have some questions about the ring you’re wearing, what exactly-’ 

‘What’s this I hear about Seulgi burning someone again?’ A loud voice laughed beside the group of three, startling Seulgi who looked at the man approaching, rolling her eyes. ‘Jongdae, I didn’t burn him. I haven’t done that in years, you ass!’ 

‘That’s not what you told me earlier when you were so clearly threatening me,’ Jongdae joked, taking a spot on Junmyeon’s chairs armrest, ‘Is this Baekhyun? I love the red hair, by the way. I know everyone here is thinking it!’ he winked, ‘I’m Jongdae, I’m a fae, if you couldn’t tell. You know, devastatingly good looks, impeccable sense of humour, supernatural power and inability to lie… I’m the resident assigned with getting you acquited to our little space here!’ 

‘Hi, Jongdae, nice to meet you’ Baekhyun laughed as he held out his hand for the man to shake. He wasn’t really expecting this meeting to turn into a whole meet-the-gang party, but he was thoroughly enjoying meeting everyone. Jongdae’s playful attitude and whiny-but-charming voice reminded him of Sehun. And besides, the man complimented his hair! (Which he logged into his memory for future reference- he should work on styling his hair a bit). 

‘You all have been so nice to me. I’m really so thankful, I’m sure the time spent here will be really-’ Baekhyun started, pausing when he heard the door to the room burst open and a man (seemingly in a hurry) scramble to get in, out of breath and dazed from wherever he had been previously. 

‘God, everyone, I’m so sorry I’m late. I hope I haven’t missed too much! The wildlings today were such a handful, I had to take extra time with them,’ The man said, a deep voice rumbling throughout the room and capturing everyone’s attention. Baekhyun couldn’t put a face to this man yet; he seemed like he was just somewhere very cold, wearing a huge jacket, scarf and (what looked like) ski goggles and a beanie. 

‘Is Baekhyun here yet?’ The man said, shoving off his jacket and the rest of his accessories. 

Baekhyun fell short of breath. 

The man that entered was absolutely beautiful. He was wearing a simple plain black t-shirt and black jeans, yet he’d never seen clothes look so good on someone. He had to have been over six feet tall; he looked absolutely _giant_ next to the small door frame behind him, strong hands holding onto his jacket. His black hair was a bit wild from (Baekhyun’s guessing) the amount of running he had to do to get there, but Baekhyun just thought it added to his charm. He had wide, broad shoulders and a strong build, but what Baekhyun already felt himself swooning over were _his eyes._ Huge, curious eyes peeked at Baekhyun, as the odd one out in the room.

A small smile spread across the man’s face, making his eyes turn impossibly cuter and a dimple appear on his right cheek. This man was making eye contact with him, and Baekhyun felt a different type of warmth spread across his own cheeks (I am _not_ blushing, Baekhyun thought, _Get it together Byun!_ ). Baekhyun averted his eyes to the man’s hands, whose fingers were covered with a multitude of rings; all of them were different sizes and different thicknesses. Baekhyun’s voice caught in his throat. 

‘Yes, he is!’ Junmyeon spoke, saving Baekhyun from the awkwardness.

‘He’s right here. Baekhyun, meet Lucky One’s best skillsman and makeshift wildling nanny,’ Junmyeon laughed, motioning for the man to join them by the fireplace. His long legs extended out in front of him as he closed the distance between him and Baekhyun, to which Baekhyun _gulped. ‘_ I’m sure you’ve heard of him before. This is Chanyeol, the man responsible for your safe arrival.’ 

Baekhyun thought that Junmyeon must have been joking. This is the man who saved him? Or, as Yixing put it, ‘put the fire back into his heart?’. 

‘Hi there,’ Chanyeol said, his deep voice filling the room, ‘What he said is true, I _am_ the nanny-type, I suppose. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you when you’re awake, Baekhyun!’ 

Chanyeol’s voice was impossibly kind. Baekhyun felt the nerves within him fade away and instead be replaced with a feeling of comfort as he stood up, meeting Chanyeol halfway from where he was and shaking his extended hand. Baekhyun quickly noted their height difference; Chanyeol was a good half-foot taller than him. 

‘Hi, I’m Baekhyun,’ Baekhyun said, finding his footing, ‘I remember Yixing told me about you, actually. I wasn’t aware that you had visited me before, I’m sorry I wasn’t awake for your, uhm, visit.’ 

_Way to play it cool, Byun._

‘Oh, he’s always off telling stories about me, isn’t he? I had actually visited the day after you were first admitted, although I hadn’t expected you to be awake. There’s no need to apologize, I’m just happy to see you awake and healthy. You were pretty cold when I found you,’ Chanyeol said, eyes turned downward as he finished his sentence. 

‘Thank you for that, by the way. I don’t remember much from that day, but I know it would have been a lot worse if you weren’t there, so thank you, really,’ Baekhyun said, still shaking Chanyeol’s hand. 

‘It’s no problem. I’m happy to find you,’ Chanyeol smiled, ‘I guess we can stop shaking hands now, right?’ He chuckled, amused at their 30-second long handshake. 

‘Oh, right! Sorry, I-’

‘God, I’m so happy that you two could finally meet.’ Jongdae interrupted, still in his spot at Junmyeon’s armrest, ‘When Chanyeol first told me he’d taken in a human, I was so shocked. You’re lucky it was Chanyeol who found you, Baek.’ The smile that was on Baekhyun’s face returned at the use of the nickname, but he was confused at what Jongdae had meant… 

‘What do you mean? If anyone else found me, I’m assuming they would have just taken me here, right?’ Baekhyun said, turning to his little group of three. ‘I mean, you guys seem really popular. There’s tons of people in here, I can’t imagine a different place I could have gone…?’ 

Junmyeon spoke up. ‘Let’s just say that there’s a certain type of people that you wouldn’t want to be found by. You know, people who have no regard for your predicament and who would have taken advantage of you the moment you got here. Unfortunately that’s happened here quite a lot in the past, with humans. Chanyeol actually works for our foundation as the main person who seeks out people like you, Baekhyun. People who need our help.’

Baekhyun peeked at Chanyeol from the corner of his eye, who was standing there with his head turned towards him. _Is he still looking at me…?_

‘Don’t worry, Baekhyun, we have you safe here. Chanyeol found you and I swear I’ve never seen anyone recover as quickly as you did!’ Jongdae said, hopping down from his spot. ‘Now that you’re feeling all better, we can get you accustomed. That’ll start tomorrow!’

Baekhyun gave Jongdae a warm smile. This was the friendliest person he’d ever met. ‘Thanks, Jongdae, I’m looking forward to it.’ 

‘I’ll be seeing you from time to time too, Baekhyun. You know, showing you around the place and everything. It’s important that we stick together,’ Chanyeol added. People had started filing out of the room, to which Baekhyun followed; he was guessing the meeting was over. ‘I’ll be here for anything that you need. I-’ 

Chanyeol took a moment to pause and seemed to think about the way to word his sentence; Baekhyun thought the focused look on his face was cute. 

‘Before you woke up, I’d usually stop by at around nine or ten in the morning, to you know.. Check up on you.’ 

Okay, the look of sympathy in Chanyeol’s face was _really_ cute. 

‘But I’m guessing Jongdae has a whole day planned out for the both of you, so I’ll drop by in the evening, okay? I’m sure we can talk more then, in a more relaxed setting.’ 

Two rows of perfect white teeth smiled at Baekhyun as Chanyeol finished his little speech, seemingly proud of himself for successfully asking Baekhyun to hang out next evening. Baekhyun was a goner. 

‘I’d love that, thank you for being so considerate, Chanyeol.’ The pair walked side by side as they followed everyone out of the room, pausing behind the crowd as they stopped to talk. 

‘Just how often would you check up on me?’ 

‘Ah, about every second day until you woke up. With the state you were in when I found you… I was just really worried.’ Chanyeol looked shy. ‘I’m sorry if that’s creepy or anything, I just wanted to make sure you were safe, I promise!’ 

‘Chanyeol. It’s okay. It makes me happy knowing that someone here is looking out for me and my delicate ass,’ Baekhyun laughed, fidgeting with his hands as he spoke to the tall man in front of him. ‘I actually feel a lot better though, I’ve regained a lot of my strength. It’s taking me a while to get used to everything here, everything’s so different but familiar at the same time. The people are great, though. Well, at least the ones I’ve met so far…’ 

Baekhyun scratched his head. ‘I’m happy we can hang out. Looking forward to it, even.’ 

He hoped that his weak attempt at flirting was enough for Chanyeol to pick up. If not, he guessed he had at least until tomorrow night to figure out how to be more bold. 

‘Me too! I usually work alone, I have so much to do sometimes it feels like. Work’s pretty stressful but it’s times like these that make it worth it, you know. I’m really happy to help a visitor to the foundation.’ 

Baekhyun’s heart fell a little, at the reminder that his stay was temporary. What was he trying to do, flirt with a random man he just met here? He didn’t think Chanyeol picked up on his flirting, either… 

‘Exactly!’ Baekhyun started, the fidgeting of his hands getting worse. ‘Well, I should be getting back to my room, if I can find my way back that is.’

‘Oh, it’s just down through that hallway that’s on the left, there. Can’t miss it.’ Chanyeol gave Baekhyun one of his award-winning smiles again, looking like a proud puppy for being able to help him on the small task of finding his room. 

‘Thanks, Chanyeol. I’ll see you tomorrow evening!’ 

Baekhyun waved, breaking apart from the crowd and starting the tiny journey back to his room. He looked behind him just in time to see Chanyeol returning the wave, a small hint of a pout finding its way onto his face. Baekhyun was _screwed._

Just as Baekhyun was leaving, he spotted a ring on Chanyeol’s extended hand that was different from the others, and oddly familiar. It was only until Baekhyun was walking down the hall towards his room that he realized where he had seen that design before, why it looked so familiar and caught his eye even if for the briefest moment… 

The ring on Chanyeol’s finger was almost identical to the one Baekhyun was wearing. 

\---

Baekhyun knew that Jongdae had wanted to meet him the next morning (Jongdae stopped by Baekhyun’s room shortly after the meeting to go over the plans for tomorrow), but he didn’t know that ‘early’ meant _seven in the morning early._

The pair were walking down the street, the afternoon sun shining down on them as they walked past tiny, obscure shops, shopping bags in hand. What Jongdae meant by a morning ‘out on the town’ was actually a tiny shopping spree, Baekhyun found out; both of them had started their little trek downtown to get to the shops before eight in the morning, in order to ‘beat the crowd’ (Jongdae’s words, not Baekhyun’s). (‘ _Who on earth would go clothes shopping this early, Jongdae?’ Baekhyun asked, amused at his new friend’s antics and sheer unbelievableness. ‘You never know, there are some people around here who don’t even sleep!’ was Jongdae’s reply)._

As much as he was tired, Baekhyun actually did enjoy the early start and being able to hang out with Jongdae. He was literally the friendliest guy he had ever met; all it took was one mention of the clothes Yixing had given Baekhyun and Jongdae made it his mission to embark on a shopping trip. The bland, uniform-esque clothes that he was given were about to be replaced with clothes that were more to Baekhyun’s taste: natural, black and nude tones, comfort above anything and the baggy-but-fitted look that Baekhyun loved. It was one more step to feeling more like himself, and Baekhyun was thankful. Tired, but thankful. 

‘Where are we going now?’ 

Baekhyun continued walking from the spot on the sidewalk they were paused at; Jongdae wanted to get a hot chocolate from the tiny shop on the street (Baekhyun didn’t get one since he found himself unusually warm for such a colder time of the year). 

‘We’re going to loop around this street, and then I’m taking you to the garden we have back at Lucky One. The weather’s been cold lately, but I’ve been working hard to keep it maintained and strong through the new year. It’s my pride and joy,’ Jongdae said, the excitement visibly showing on his face. 

‘Great! Let’s go. I was wondering what type of greenery you guys grow here.’ 

‘Oh, it’s similar to what you have on Earth. Only difference is this garden has me as it’s primary caretaker,’ Jongdae winked. 

‘What would they do without you?’ Baekhyun mocked, eyes rolling as he amused his friend. As much as the worry from the past days was still in the back of his mind, Baekhyun was slowly starting to really enjoy his time in their world. He felt like he was a kid, traveling to another country for the first time again. Plus, for some reason, a calm, gentle warmth consistently filled Baekhyun’s chest, calming his anxiety when he needed it most. 

\---

‘Jongdae, these are breathtaking. I didn’t know you had such a knack for gardening!’ Baekhyun shouted to Jongdae, the latter of which was further down the garden pathway. Baekhyun was surrounded by golden, tiny flowers, the petals of which were entirely covering the branches of the tiny shrub and illuminated by the sunlight. Jongdae had shown Baekhyun most of the garden; they walked through rose beds, elegant white magnolias (which Jongdae said were a bitch to keep up with - he spent most of his mornings watering them), and cherry blossoms, Baekhyun’s favorite. He had no idea this natural heaven was just waiting outside of the foundation; he was surprised at the amount of people out enjoying the flowers, too. It seemed as if everyone was enjoying the sun and Jongdae’s hard work. 

He could tell how much this garden meant to Jongdae, the former had mentioned how meticulously he worked at it, day after day and he was happy to have a new person to show it to. Jongdae mentioned that he didn’t have a lot of people who helped him with the gardening, except for Chanyeol, who Jongdae said ‘naturally excelled at anything having to do with nature, you couldn’t get the man to stay indoors and relax inside even if you tried’. It was obvious how close the two of them were, Baekhyun thought. Through Jongdae’s descriptions and tiny stories about Chanyeol, he could tell they’d known each other for a long time. Which made Baekhyun wonder… 

‘Hey, Jongdae, I have a question. Are you and Chanyeol…’ Baekhyun motioned with his hands, grabbing Jongdae’s attention as he walked up closer to him. ‘Are you guys dating or something?’ 

The laugh which immediately followed Baekhyun’s question was one of disbelief, Jongdae clutching his stomach as he doubled over laughing at what he said. ‘Byun, are you crazy? Please tell me you’re joking!’ 

‘Well, I don’t know, I figured since you two seem close and all…’ 

‘Baekhyun. Chanyeol’s literally like my brother. I’ve known that guy for way too long, if I had any feelings for him, I doubt they’d take this long to show up,’ Jongdae said, still recovering from his laughing spree and reassuring his clueless friend. ‘I mean, I do love the guy, but no. And I’m sure he feels the same way. I’ve never really seen Chanyeol express any interest in dating, apart from random one night stands he tells me about, which are a rare occasion themself.’ 

‘Oh. I see! Thanks for the uh, explanation.’ 

Baekhyun took that little piece of information and stored it at the back of his mind. He didn’t expect that answer from Jongdae, he figured for a guy who has the looks and personality as Chanyeol, he’s sure he would have found someone by now. _Chanyeol’s just independent,_ Baekhyun thought quietly to himself.

They walked further down the path, continuing their admiration of the flowers and trees that hung above them. 

It was a couple of minutes until Jongdae spoke up again, a teasing tone which took Baekhyun off guard, once again. 

‘Why? Are you seeing if he’s available? You _like_ Chanyeol, don’t you?’ 

Baekhyun stopped in his tracks, eyeing his friend who had the smuggest grin on his face. 

‘Stop it, Jongdae! I do _not_ , I was just wondering,’ Baekhyun was trying to stop himself from blushing (and failing). 

‘I don’t blame you, he gets a lot of attention from everyone, _did you see those muscles_ ? And those big, doey eyes of his, _oh god they make my heart flutter_ !’ Jongdae teased, relentless and not missing the way Baekhyun tried to stop himself from grinning at the mention of Chanyeol’s features. 

‘Seriously, Dae, stop! How can I have a crush on someone I just met yesterday?’ 

‘Man, I’m not sure, but you’ve figured out a way. I can see it in your face. Congratulations!’ 

‘You’re an ass.’ Baekhyun said, continuing their walk; they had just approached an open field, filled with more flowers. There were more people here, too, all admiring the view and talking quietly to themselves. 

‘Ah, what would you know, there’s your dream man over there!’ Jongdae pointed across the field to a man crouched next to a bed of bright pink flowers, trimming the dead branches. Baekhyun could tell by the man’s ears that it was Chanyeol.

‘Stop, he’ll hear us! You really are such an ass,’ 

‘Not yet I’m not,’ Jongdae said, walking faster towards the man across the grass. He couldn’t be… 

‘Chanyeol! Nice to see you on this gorgeous, sunny afternoon! Guess who I have with me?’ 

Oh _no._

Baekhyun saw Chanyeol get up and turn around, a huge grin on his face as he looked at Jongdae, and then Baekhyun. He felt like an idiot being seen like this; he didn’t know he’d be seeing Chanyeol this early in the day! He was still carrying his shopping bags, his clothes were kind of (really) not flattering at _all_ on him, and his eye bags were at their worst thanks to his early ass wakeup call. He swore he’d have a word with Jongdae after this. 

‘Chanyeol! Hey!’

Baekhyun opted to just give in, he was kind of happy (and extremely surprised) to see Chanyeol there, anyway. Jongdae had mentioned that Chanyeol helped out frequently. 

‘Hi guys, enjoying your day? What have you been up to?’ Chanyeol walked up to them, leaving the branch cutters behind and ruffling his hair as he talked, the black tresses being messed up in the way that Baekhyun found cute again. 

‘I took Baekhyun on a little shopping spree, you know how boring those clothes are that they give them!’ Jongdae said, ‘And then we walked. And then we came to the garden. And now we’re here, talking to you!’ 

Baekhyun just smiled as Jongdae went on, he felt kind of awkward; he had a lot he wanted to talk about with Chanyeol, he was just afraid of sounding stupid (or something like that). 

‘New clothes?’ Chanyeol’s eyebrows quirked up at the sound of that, eyeing the bags that were in Baekhyun’s hand, ‘I sure hope Jongdae isn’t the one you styled you, Baekhyun! Did he tell you he has a knack for see-through, fishnet clothing? I’ve seen his nipples too many times to count!’

‘Hey, don’t go spreading false information, Park! I’ll tell Baekhyun here all of your teenage, cringey phases too, don’t even test me!’ 

The two mocked each other in a playful game of back and forth, to which Baekhyun stood by and laughed quietly to himself at their antics. He could feel the sun on his back and a playful atmosphere settle between the three; even though Baekhyun wasn’t talking, he felt oddly included in their tiny bickering. He felt content in witnessing their playful jabs at one another’s egos. 

‘... You’re just jealous that I could pull off the bowl-cut better than you, Chanyeol.’

‘Knock it off, Jongdae, or else I’ll kick you,’ Chanyeol laughed, fake-kicking his friend. ‘Baekhyun, who do you think would suit a bowl-cut better, me or Jongdae over here?’ 

‘Umm…’ Baekhyun started, breaking into laughter at the thought of them with such a goofy haircut. Ok, maybe Chanyeol would look cute… 

‘Let’s call it a tie. It’s gonna take further deliberation for me to be absolutely sure.’ 

‘Sounds good to me. Just make sure you remember Mr. Flat Ass over here’s larger than life ears, which stick out when his hair’s a certain way,’ 

‘Okay, I’ll actually kick you,’ Chanyeol threatened, lunging at his friend and shoving him to the side as Baekhyun once again burst out in laughter. 

‘Baekhyun, I’m sorry you have to see this. He’s not usually this hyper,’ Chanyeol said, directing all of his attention to Baekhyun while Jongdae pretended to be severely hurt by Chanyeol’s weak jab at his knee. 

‘It’s okay, I’m kind of used to it. I’ve been with him all morning, remember? Although I do admit, he’s a little more hyper around you.’

‘I have that effect on people.’ Chanyeol smiled, ‘Me and him get along really well due to our similar nature, I guess. The jack-ass really does know how to make me laugh…’

Baekhyun paused. Similar nature? 

‘Wait, are you a Fae too, Chanyeol? Is that what you mean?’ 

Chanyeol blushed. ‘Oh, I thought that you’d figure out, with my ears and all…’ Chanyeol pointed to his ears; they really stuck out on either side of his head, the little tips more pronounced than Jongdae’s ears and bigger than most. 

‘You’re a fairy?’ Baekhyun blinked at Chanyeol as he watched the latter’s face, an expression of shock quickly changed into one of understanding.

‘I’m flattered, but no, I’m not a fairy. I’m not nearly as delicate as they are,’

Baekhyun thought harder. That could only leave… 

‘I’m an Elf. A Light Elf, actually. That’s me,’ Chanyeol pointed to himself, proud in his announcement. It seemed like everything clicked in Baekhyun’s mind; the strong build, the caring nature, the natural inclination to the outdoors. Baekhyun didn’t know much about elves, he didn’t even know they existed a couple weeks ago, but it just made sense for Chanyeol to be one, somehow. 

‘A Light Elf? Are there different types?’ 

‘That’s a _really_ long story, Baekhyun,’ Jongdae said, ‘But yes, there are others. Our Chanyeollie here is the best of them all though, in my book. You’ll never meet another Elf as puppy-like as this one, I swear,’

‘Hey! I’m a grown man, I’ll have you know,’ Chanyeol said, puffing out his chest. 

‘God, both of you guys are so… _cool._ I can see why I’m seen as more of the weak type, with being human and all.’ 

‘Baekhyun, stop that. We’ve told you before that you are _not_ weak, not in the slightest.’ Chanyeol spoke, focusing on Baekhyun, ‘Don’t be so hard on yourself. You may think that we’re some sort of rare creature or something, but there are thousands like us, too. Meanwhile I’ve only met a couple of humans that can successfully travel between worlds,’ 

‘I think you’re pretty great. And you can deal with Jongdae here, which is a testament to your strength.’

Baekhyun grinned, his sudden drop in mood quickly recovered by Chanyeol’s little pep-talk. ‘Yeah, I guess so. Thank you, there’s just a little voice in the back of my head that tells me I’m inferior to all the people here, just cause I’m new. You know when you’re in a new environment, and everyone is so natural at everything yet you’re just getting settled in? That’s what I’m feeling,’ 

Baekhyun paused. ‘Sorry, I’m rambling.’

‘No, it’s really okay, Baekhyun. I’m here to listen! Please let me help. It’s sort of engraved into my nature, as an Elf.’ Chanyeol once again reassured, eyeing Baekhyun with such sincerity that he could feel that familiar warmth creep back into his chest and envelope all of the nasty feelings he had inside. He instantly felt more calm. 

‘Nah, that's not your inner Elf taking over, Chanyeol. That’s just you being yourself.’ Baekhyun said, not missing the tiny blush that spread through Chanyeol’s cheeks and the hint of a dimple as the latter looked away, avoiding Baekhyun’s stare. 

Baekhyun thought Chanyeol looked pretty like this, against the sunlight and hair ruffled. 

He could hear the faint sound of Jongdae scoffing in the background, probably at Baekhyun’s shameless compliment. Baekhyun couldn’t find it in himself to care. 

—- 

After today’s early start, Baekhyun felt tired. Well, _exhausted_ is a better word for it. Once he got back in his room, Baekhyun had a short nap and a shower; he felt kind of disgusting after the day he had (he wasn’t complaining, though). Jongdae wasn’t lying when he said that life here wasn’t all that different from his on Earth, except the people. Baekhyun was amazed at the different types of creatures Jongdae could point out just by the look of them, he even knew that the little kid running past them as they exited a shop was a rain spirit. 

If you had told a past Baekhyun that a world like this were real, he wouldn’t have believed you. But now, he couldn’t believe he was in the dark for such a long time. Life here seemed to move so naturally and with ease; everyone was friendly, got along well with one another, and even when him and Jongdae were on their walk and shopping, the people around him seemed to move so in sync it was almost rehearsed. The more he thought of it, Baekhyun didn’t know exactly what to make out with the way things operated here. There had to be something he was missing, the comment that Jongdae made earlier about the ‘wrong type of people’ who could have potentially found him all those days ago was still fresh in his mind. He needed to be careful; of course there were people to look out for him here, but he was still Baekhyun and had to make sure he kept independant. He never did really like to depend on anyone or anything for his safety or his well being, even at home he was pretty adamant on sticking to himself most of the time. _There’s nothing wrong with asking other people for help, Baekhyun_ his mother would say. Baekhyun knew she was right, but he wasn’t some sort of helpless creature. He always managed to figure things out for himself, and that’d stay true no matter where he went. 

One thing Baekhyun couldn’t figure out, though, was the tiny object sitting on the dresser beside his bed. 

His ring. 

He took it off before he met up with Jongdae; after yesterday, and after seeing an almost identical ring wrapped around Chanyeol’s finger, he wasn’t sure what to make of it or what it meant. He wasn’t even sure the exact origin of _his_ ring; if Chanyeol had another one, does that mean that it came from this world, and not his? 

And Chanyeol must’ve seen the ring on Baekhyun’s finger… right? He’d been visiting him multiple times while he was still asleep and recovering, not to mention Chanyeol was the one who carried him out of the water and rescued him. Baekhyun shivered at the recollection of the event; he was still so embarrassed that someone had to see him in that state. 

_I guess out of everyone who could have seen me, there’s no one I’d rather than Chanyeol_ , Baekhyun thought. 

\---

‘So, are you going to let me in, or not?’ 

Baekhyun didn’t even realize that he was standing in the way, moving to the side to let Chanyeol in (who was carrying bags full of… was that food?). 

‘I’ve brought you some things to eat, I figured that you’d like a nice change from the food they serve you here, I know it’s on a pretty repetitive schedule’ Chanyeol smiled, moving over to the tiny table at the side of Baekhyun’s room and opening the bags of food, taking out tiny containers and napkins. ‘Don’t worry, there’s a variety here, so if you’re picky we have a backup plan.’ 

Baekhyun smiled fondly at the gesture; he would have never guessed that Chanyeol would be so considerate. The tiny containers brought a delicious smell with them as they were opened; Baekhyun was thankful he wasn’t picky in the slightest. 

‘This is really great, Chanyeol, thank you so much. Did you make all of this?’ 

Chanyeol’s eyes scanned across Baekhyun’s face, then shifted to the containers of food. ‘Uh… No, I didn’t actually! Before I came over I picked all of this up at the shops down the street. Take it as a formal introduction to the cuisine here.’ 

He pulled out two plates from the bag as well as cutlery, placing them in front of Baekhyun and motioning for him to help himself. ‘One day I can cook for you, though, if you’d like.’

This seemed to embarrass Chanyeol a bit, his ears turning red and a shy smile on his face as he dished out his own food. ‘I mean, only if you’d like, Baekhyun. I might not be the best cook, but I have a select few recipes that I’d love for you to try!’ 

Baekhyun laughed. Chanyeol grew talkative when he was embarrassed. 

‘Once again, that’d be really great, Chanyeol. Maybe I can show you some of my own recipes, too,’ Baekhyun chuckled, ‘I’m not much of a cook but it’s worth a try!’ 

‘Exactly! I always need more recipe ideas anyway, I have a lot of mouths to feed some days.’ 

Baekhyun paused before he took his next bite. ‘Are you talking about the wildlings that Junmyeon mentioned? Could you tell me more about them?’ 

‘Well, there’s not really a huge story about them, I wish I had something cool to tell you. They’re kids that the foundation looks after, most of them are hybrids that their parents decided not to want anymore. It’s sad, really; every year I find about two or three more wandering the streets not knowing where to go. I got the idea to start taking them in and using the foundation’s money to raise them,’ Chanyeol made a sigh of relief, ‘Unbelievably, they agreed. So now they’re ‘mine’ in a way, although I act more like a brother to them. Me along with a few others look after them. Really sweet kids, they are.’ 

‘God, I had no idea that sort of thing happened here,’ Baekhyun said, moving to get more food; whatever Chanyeol brought, it was some of the best food he’s ever had. ‘I sound like a broken record but that’s so great of you. Is that just what you do here then? Save and look after people?’ 

‘You could say that, I guess. I just like to help, among other things. I love helping people when they need it most,’ 

Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun, the dimple on his cheek becoming visible as he grinned at him, humming when he saw the empty plate of food, ‘So, I’m guessing you liked the food? Turns out you aren’t picky at all!’ 

Baekhyun laughed, cleaning up his plate and getting up to throw the garbage in the little trash can he had, ‘You guessed right! I didn’t expect the food here to be so good, no offense.’ 

‘None taken. Here, let me help you with that,’ Chanyeol cleaned up the mess they had made from their tiny meal, ‘They really have you holed up in this room, huh? Would you want to get out of here and go for a walk?’ 

‘I’m guessing by the way you’re already putting on your shoes, that’s not really a question’ Baekhyun laughed, putting on his own jacket. ‘Where do you want to go?’ 

‘You’ve already been to the garden, so…’ Chanyeol whistled as he thought, his eyebrows furrowing in the way that Baekhyun found most cute. ‘Actually, I can think of a few places I want to show you. Just follow me, it’ll be a surprise.’

\---

Chanyeol knew his way around the giant building they were in, first leading Baekhyun out of the little corridor his room was in and walking him to the other parts of the foundation; all of the tiny back rooms that no one knew about, his favorite places to take an impromptu nap when he was tired, and even where they stored all of the snacks (that no one would notice if someone took a few). He was like Baekhyun’s mini tour guide, making sure he wouldn’t get lost if he did decide to wander by himself around the place, in which case he’d just have to tell someone to ‘call Chanyeol’ and he’d be there in no time. 

Baekhyun thought it would be awkward to spend so much time with Chanyeol like this; he wasn’t as talkative as Jongdae, or so bold as to ask him a million questions as the former did all morning. But Chanyeol was curious in his own way, mostly babbling on his own, telling Baekhyun all the little stories he had tied to the foundation, how young he was when he started working there (18), and random embarrassing stories about Jongdae (like the time he found Jongdae sleep walking in the halls, naked except for his underwear that had flowers on them). 

He asked about Baekhyun’s life, too, when he had the chance. Like when they were in the common area, looking at the shelves at books available to read; Chanyeol asked Baekhyun his favorite quote from a novel because according to him, ‘everyone has one’. Or when they walked outside for a bit and Baekhyun looked up at the moon, Chanyeol was curious as to if Baekhyun liked star gazing, since he had a telescope at his house that they could both use (only if Baekhyun wanted to, of course). Baekhyun was starting to grow tired after they had walked around for about two hours; he loved talking about anything and everything with Chanyeol, but his legs were starting to give out from beneath him and his eyes were starting to burn. ( _So you’re not a night owl, Baekhyun? Funny, I thought you’d be the staying up late type._ )

He quickly found out that Chanyeol’s humour was mostly sarcastic, but goofy if you hit the right topic. Baekhyun quickly felt at ease joking with him, his sense of humour was kind of goofy as well, and pulling that side out of Chanyeol was addictive. He kept feeling the urge to hold Chanyeol’s arm, being the clingy and physically affectionate type himself; Chanyeol was just so _warm_ and so _close._

Baekhyun wasn’t sure, when the night ended, how much he had grown used to the feeling of Chanyeol beside him as if he had always been there. He couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment when he’d grown to love Chanyeol’s laugh, the way he touched his shoulder when he laughed too hard and Baekhyun thought he might hit him. Or the way that Chanyeol’s deep voice told the best stories, had the best laugh, said the sweetest things that Baekhyun was sure only meant in a strictly-friends way, but Chanyeol was just so kind that Baekhyun couldn’t help but feel more from it. 

Or, Baekhyun’s favorite, when the night ended and Chanyeol saw him to his room: the way that Chanyeol awkwardly laughed when it was time to say goodbye, his eyes giving away the fact that he wanted to end it on a hug but settled for an awkward handshake instead, leaving Baekhyun smitten and wishing for more. 

Baekhyun wasn’t sure when exactly he started to realize the magnitude of his feelings for the man in front of him, he just knew that his smiles felt brighter when he was with Chanyeol, his laughs went on for longer and his mind felt calmer. He really did like Chanyeol for all that he was: long legs, huge smile, even huger ears and all.

\---

Baekhyun’s daily schedule was quickly filled with visits from Jongdae and Chanyeol; Jongdae kept his afternoons busy, Chanyeol his evenings. He grew to love his room, finding tiny lights to hang up near the dresser they gave him and a reading lamp near his bed, spending any and all of his free time borrowing books from the library and reading them before he slept. Of course, he told Chanyeol about every book he read, Chanyeol being adamant that Baekhyun explained the whole plot to him regardless of if he’d already read it or not. _You never know if I missed a crucial part of the story, Baekhyun!_ He’d say. 

He even spent time with Yixing, the doctor being a lot more busy now with other patients and not checking up on Baekhyun as regularly as he did now that he was recovered. Baekhyun missed Yixing, he was the first one he saw when he woke up and he felt a lot of comfort whenever he got a visit from the doctor, who he now knew as his friend. Yixing found out about Baekhyun’s love for the garden, and taught him how to weave a tiny wooden basket to put the flowers that he picked in; Baekhyun felt kind of childish carrying around his basket full of flowers, but Chanyeol found it adorable. 

Although Baekhyun was settled into his lifestyle to some degree, of course there were still anxieties he felt from time to time. When he’d wake up in a cold sweat, nightmares of never being able to get back to his own world plaguing his mind and disrupting his sleep. Or when he’d see something that reminds him of Gyeonggi, or his grandma, or Sehun. It had been about two months since Baekhyun first arrived, yet he heard his grandma’s and Sehun’s voices clear as day in his dreams; it was for this reason as to why he wanted to get so much sleep each night. He often wondered about back home, how Sehun was doing, how much he wished he could go back, give his grandma a hug and apologize for being such a bad grandson. 

Some days he’d shut himself in. Lock the door to his room, sit on his bed and dream, chasing his life back home and being terribly homesick. Jongdae tried to ease his anxieties, often bringing up his world and expressing how excited he was for Baekhyun to go back home; maybe he’d come and visit him sometime, if he could find some time to take off work. Baekhyun knew that Jongdae was trying, and appreciated him greatly; the man had become to be one of his best friends while he was there, their bond becoming much more than temporary friends. 

Sometimes, on the rare occasion when Baekhyun would feel his worst, Chanyeol would find time to take off in the afternoon and visit Baekhyun earlier than planned. Chanyeol always knew when Baekhyun was going through his worst, for some reason. He’d come in with sweets, games or one time, he brought his guitar, playing songs for Baekhyun to ease his anxiety and help him sleep (which Chanyeol knew was Baekhyun’s goal sometimes). 

Chanyeol never failed Baekhyun. 

He felt guilty for never returning the favor, asking Chanyeol ‘There has to be something I can do for you, in return’ to which Chanyeol would reply ‘Come and take a walk with me around the garden. That’s payment enough.’

Junmyeon, though, was proactive about Baekhyun’s worries, often including Baekhyun in his talks with Seulgi on figuring out a way he could get back earlier than planned. 

‘I know the date we set on is June 21st. However, me and Seulgi have been looking at half-eclipses, too, one of which occurs on April 1st. It’s not a certainty, but there’s a possibility that this could work to bring you back home, Baekhyun. It’d be similar as to when you first came here,’ Junmyeon said while he was having lunch with Baekhyun and Jongdae, spotting the two in the common room and inviting them out to eat. 

‘This time, though, since it’s a half eclipse, there’d be more risk. There’s a possibility that there could be some memory impairment this time around, as journeys occuring during half-eclipses often require some sort of payment by the traveler, we never know for sure.’ 

‘Memory impairment…? As in?’

‘As in you might lose all memory of this place, this world. It’s common among humans, only with some exceptions, although they’re rare. It’s a risk we have to factor in,’ Junmyeon said, his voice grim, eyeing the two men in front of him. 

Baekhyun wasn’t sure what to make of that, the thought of forgetting everything and everyone here absolutely harrowing to him. He wouldn’t remember the garden, his tiny room (which was his own personal heaven, now), all of the knowledge he gained about this new world, he wouldn’t remember Jongdae’s jokes or his whiny laugh, he wouldn’t remember the way Chanyeol peeked his face into his room and the smile that instantly spread through his cheeks the moment he saw Baekhyun… 

‘Woah, what’s going on here? Why all the sad faces?’ 

Baekhyun’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a familiar deep voice; he couldn’t stop the smile on his face from showing. Jongdae took Chanyeol’s presence as a much needed break from the tension of their argument, screaming ‘Chanyeol!’ as soon as he saw his friend and standing up to hug the giant boy in front of him. 

‘Chanyeol.’ Baekhyun said, feeling awkward sitting down and standing up, too, ‘I was just thinking about you!’ 

‘Oh really? Good thoughts, I hope?’ Chanyeol winked at Baekhyun, flustering him and making him blush. 

_Goddamnit, Park._

‘Actually, we were just discussing the possibility of our Baekhyun here being able to go home early, April 1st to be exact. Seulgi and I may have found an alternate option,’ Junmyeon chimed in, returning their conversation to the exact thing Baekhyun was trying to avoid. He didn’t even know if he wanted to go home early yet, I mean, he _did,_ he just wasn’t sure he was exactly ready… 

‘Oh! April, you say?’ Chanyeol’s smile faltered for a second. ‘That’s so soon, you must be excited, Baekhyun!’ 

The taller man turned to Baekhyun, who was standing there trying to figure out a way to hint to Chanyeol that he didn’t _want_ to go, not nearly that early because, well, how do you willingly leave some of the best people you’ve ever met in your life? 

Baekhyun couldn’t figure out how to put that into words. Not yet. 

‘I mean, nothing’s decided yet! We were only just talking about it, I mean I miss my family and friends but…’ 

‘But you can’t stand to tear yourself from this perfect face right here, I get it, Baekhyun,’ Jongdae said, somehow understanding that Baekhyun didn’t know how to articulate himself _just yet_ and saving him from a moment of awkwardness. ‘Don’t worry, you’ve got a lot of time to decide. Right, Chanyeol?’

Chanyeol smiled. ‘Exactly, Baekhyun. Although, that does leave us with only a little more than a month left… God, and I have that conference to attend this weekend, as well,’ 

‘A conference? For the whole weekend?’ Baekhyun said, the prospect of losing time with Chanyeol making him more sad than he imagined. Baekhyun was in deep.

‘Yeah, I’ve been invited to a conference about the rising population of abandoned hybrids in this region,’ Chanyeol said, looking dejected. He ran his hands through his long hair, weighing his options. ‘I’m afraid I can’t get out of it. I’m sorry, Baekhyun.’ 

All of a sudden, this moment felt like it was just between Baekhyun and Chanyeol rather than a discussion between four people. Chanyeol could read Baekhyun like a book, and Baekhyun knew it. Baekhyun figured he looked like a kicked puppy, by now. 

‘It’s okay, Chanyeol, I’ll keep Baekhyun busy this weekend! Don’t worry about him, nothing a few days with me can’t fix,’ Jongdae said, ‘Then he’s all yours when you come back. You guys’ll have plenty of time to go through those puzzles that you love doing.’ 

‘That’s perfect! That sounds great actually,’ Chanyeol said, looking at Baekhyun more than Jongdae, ‘I’m afraid I’ll have to leave now, but I’ll catch up with you later, yeah? Baekhyun, I’ll stop by tomorrow before I leave, if that’s okay.’ 

Baekhyun looked up at Chanyeol, the lighting of the room making his eyes sparkle and the dimple in his cheek poke out more against the shadows on his face. 

‘I’d love that, Chanyeol. I’ll make sure to wake up early,’ 

He gave Chanyeol a slight nod, trying his best to look understanding as he said, ‘Now get going, I’m sure you’re late for something or are about to be!’ 

Chanyeol nodded to the three of them and left, smiling and waving behind him. Baekhyun was lost in the thought of how he’d survive a Chanyeol-free weekend when he heard Jongdae say something beside him, in a cheeky way that Baekhyun knew meant Jongdae was up to no good. 

‘Now, Baekhyun, have you ever been to a club?’

\--- 

The visit Chanyeol made Baekhyun before he left was shorter than he expected. They were both sitting on Baekhyun’s bed, Chanyeol’s feet dangling off the edge as they sat side-by-side, both just enjoying each other’s company as they started their day off together. Chanyeol was talking about a piece of music he had previously written; he was going to show it to Baekhyun but it was too late from when he left his house that he realized he forgot his guitar. 

Baekhyun was disappointed, trying to convince Chanyeol to hum it to him instead to which Chanyeol replied ‘It doesn’t have the same effect when it’s hummed’. 

Chanyeol was pretty tired when he got to Baekhyun’s room. When he arrived, it was around eight in the morning; he had to leave at ten, and he skipped out on breakfast just to see Baekhyun. Baekhyun asked if he wanted to get breakfast together, he didn’t expect Chanyeol to tell him that he ‘just wanted to spend some alone time with him before he had to go’. 

Baekhyun didn’t miss the way his heart skipped a beat. He hoped Chanyeol didn’t see the blush on his cheeks. 

‘What am I supposed to do while you’re gone, Chanyeol? I’m gonna be so bored…’ Baekhyun said, nudging Chanyeol’s calf with his foot; the size difference between their legs was kinda adorable. 

‘You have Jongdae, remember? I’m sure he has so many plans for you guys,’ 

‘Besides, I won’t be gone for long. You won’t even notice my absence.’ 

‘I highly doubt that. Don’t get me wrong, I love Jongdae, but I can’t exactly have him over for a quiet hang out like this… It’s different when I’m with you, Chanyeol.’ 

Baekhyun quickly realized how what he said could have come off; he had lightened up with the flirting with Chanyeol, and that was pretty bold of him. Chanyeol didn’t seem to care though, understanding what Baekhyun meant and looking in his eyes, as if searching for something. 

‘I know. I feel the same way,’ Chanyeol said, making eye contact with Baekhyun. ‘Imagine me, I’m going to be at a boring conference cooped up in a hotel room all weekend, do you know how bored _I’ll_ be?’ 

‘You can stop with the act, Chanyeol, I know how much you care about the hybrids here,’ Baekhyun shoved Chanyeol’s shoulder, suppressing a smile (and failing). ‘That’s one of the things I love about you, you know. At least when you’re gone I’ll know you’re doing something for the greater good.’ 

‘Yeah, I guess. I’m looking forward to coming back, though. God, to think of you only having a month left here, that’s crazy isn’t it?’ 

Baekhyun’s heart fell; he had sort of forgotten about the prospect of him going home. He tried his best after he got back to his room last night to shut those thoughts out of his head and focus on his visit with Chanyeol instead. 

‘I told you I haven’t made any decisions yet, Chanyeol! Besides, Junmyeon and Seulgi aren’t even guaranteeing it, yet…’ 

‘Yeah, but… I know how much you miss your own world. Your own family. Your own friends. I can feel your anxiety about it, I know you have nightmares, Baekhyun.’ Chanyeol’s voice got incredibly soft. ‘I’m just saying, you don’t have to think of me when making this decision. Your home is not with me, it’s in your own world. You know that, right?’ 

Baekhyun paused, he knew that Chanyeol was right, yet his heart wasn’t fully convinced. At all. 

‘You’re right. I’ll keep that in mind, thank you Chanyeol.’ Baekhyun said, opting for the easy way out. Why were words so hard?

Even though Baekhyun knew he probably looked dejected, that didn’t stop Chanyeol from giving him his biggest, toothy smile. ‘There you go,’ Chanyeol said, getting up from the bed and going to put on his jacket, ‘That’s my Baekhyun! I know you’ll make the right decision.’ 

‘Unfortunately I have to go now, it’s nearing ten and I have a long way to go so I can be on time. You’re sure you’re okay, before I leave? You’re kind of pouting.’ 

Baekhyun couldn’t help but exhale and smile; Chanyeol always knew how to bring him out of his thoughts and into reality. ‘Yeah, I’m okay. Just thinking about all the shenanigans Jongdae has planned for me this weekend, all of which involve me leaving my room and being out all day.’

‘That’s Jongdae for you, I’m sure I’ll hear about it when I get back, hmm? I really do have to go, though, Baek.’ 

Chanyeol walked to the door, opening it and turning around to give Baekhyun one last look before he left. Baekhyun remained seated on the bed, his head turned to see Chanyeol standing in the door frame, taking note at how he was almost too tall to fit inside it. His hair had gotten longer since the time he first met him; it was more fluffy, covering his ears and making a black mushroom-shape on top of his head. He was wearing the same thing he always wore; a plain black t-shirt and black jeans, which Baekhyun found just fine. Chanyeol had his bright personality to lighten up his presence; he didn’t need bright colored clothes to do that for him. 

‘Goodbye, Chanyeol. I’ll probably be in the same exact spot when you get back!’ Baekhyun said jokingly and waving, ‘Have a safe trip, okay?’ 

‘I’ll be safe, don’t you worry one bit about me,’ Chanyeol said, ‘Goodbye, Baekhyun.’ 

He paused before his next sentence. 

‘Miss me when I’m gone. I’ll for sure miss _you._ ’

Chanyeol left before Baekhyun could get another word out. He wished Chanyeol stayed a bit longer, so Baekhyun could find the courage to say what he desperately wanted to say:

I _will_ . 

\--- 

‘Are you sure this is, um… _appropriate_ for where we’re going, Dae?’ 

‘Well, of course! You wouldn’t want to blend in, now would you?’ 

Baekhyun looked at himself in the mirror, the shiny, glimmery tone of his shirt making it hard for him to focus on anything else. Jongdae managed to ‘find’ a dress shirt that he could wear tonight: a white, sparkly button up blouse that fit loosely on Baekhyun but still managed to show off some of his figure (Baekhyun swore he bought it specifically to see Baekhyun wear it, though).

It wasn’t exactly in his comfort zone, and not at all something that Baekhyun would usually wear; his wardrobe here was full of neutral tones, nothing as eye-catching and daring as this shirt. He wasn’t even sure what the exact mood Jongdae was trying to set him up for with this top, but he had an idea. 

‘Jongdae, you know I’m not looking to… _meet_ anyone tonight, right? I just want to go for a couple drinks and whatnot,’ Baekhyun said, tugging down the waistline of the shirt, tucking it into the front of his black dress pants. ‘The look on your face makes it seem like you want me to go home with someone!’ 

‘Baekhyun, you flatter yourself. I just simply want you to have a good time tonight! Maybe get some curious looks from a couple of strangers, there's no harm in that right? Besides, I kinda wanted to get your mind off of, you know… Chanyeol.’ 

Jongdae looked at Baekhyun through the mirror, making eye contact. ‘Also known as that guy you have a huge, unavoidable and completely obvious crush on.’ 

‘Jongdae! I do _not,_ ’ 

Baekhyun eyed his friend in the mirror, sighing in defeat. 

‘Okay, maybe I do, but what does it matter? It’s not like he’s interested in me!’

The pair moved to put on their shoes, exiting Baekhyun’s room and starting their trek to the club Jongdae’s been hyping up the past couple of days. 

‘Chanyeol’s hardworking, successful, and obviously well loved by everyone who meets him. I doubt he has eyes for me.’ 

‘God, Byun, for someone who’s convinced this entire ensemble could bring them home a date, you sure don’t have a lot of confidence!’ 

Jongdae sighed before he spoke, kicking a stray rock that was on the sidewalk. They took a detour to exit the building, opting to walk to the club instead of taking any means of transportation. The night was crisp and clear; Baekhyun was happy they decided to go out instead of being cooped up in his room, for once. 

‘You never know with Chanyeol. I don’t really talk to him about, well, his love life, but I know he really likes you. It’s not often he spends so much time with people he’s brought in. The only person I can remember that happening with is Irene.’ 

Baekhyun paused. ‘Irene?’ 

‘Yeah, she was admitted to the foundation about a year and a half ago, I think? She was a human too. Poor thing, it took Chanyeol so long to get her to be comfortable here and talk to us. But once he did, those two were inseparable, I tell you.’ 

Jongdae continued hitting rocks on the sidewalk with his feet, dodging any cracks that came in his way. ‘They had a real connection.’ 

‘Oh, I see.’ Baekhyun said, feeling a tinge of jealousy creep into the deepest parts of him. He wasn’t sure why hearing about this Irene person made him feel envious, but… it just did. It forced Baekhyun to momentarily look back at every interaction he and Chanyeol had; did it mean just as much to Chanyeol as it did to Baekhyun? 

He didn’t even know the woman Jongdae was talking about. Baekhyun knew he was being ridiculous and unrealistic. But the thought of Chanyeol creating a real connection to someone, someone who he knew he probably couldn’t compare to in the slightest, someone that Chanyeol obviously spent a lot of time with… 

‘Where is she now?’ 

‘Um… She returned back to her own world, same as what you’ll be doing. It broke her heart to go, and she promised that she’d come back soon, but…’ Jongdae looked up to the sky, the moon shining brightly on the two men walking down the street. ‘When she crossed over, she must have lost her memory of us and of our little world here. That’s the conclusion me and Chanyeol reached.’ 

‘Chanyeol was heartbroken. That guy’s a real softie, y’know? I didn’t tell you he was like an overgrown puppy for nothing!’ 

Jongdae laughed, noticing the drop in Baekhyun’s mood, even though it was slight. ‘But hey, that’s all in the past now. Chanyeol accepted it, I’ve accepted it. If you’re thinking that he’s using you as some sort of ‘replacement’, don’t worry about it, Byun.’ 

‘Besides, no human we’ve met has come through with this cool, auburn hair that you’ve managed to conjure up,’ Jongdae laughed, wrapping his arm around Baekhyun’s shoulder. ‘You’re one of a kind.’ 

Baekhyun smiled at his friend, eyes turning into crescents as he appreciated the kind and reassuring words. He was determined not to let this little piece of information ruin his night, he wasn’t _that_ childish. 

Jongdae said he was one of a kind, and somewhere in Baekhyun’s heart, he believed it. But he also took note of what Jongdae said before. 

His friend had mentioned that Baekhyun wasn’t a replacement for Irene, that Chanyeol doesn’t see him as that and that what they have is different. But in Baekhyun’s eyes, if someone brings up a concerning thought, that means that some part of them has considered it a possibility before. 

And now Baekhyun was starting to think about the possibility, too. 

\---

Baekhyun didn’t know how much time had passed since him and Jongdae entered the club. 

The building was surprisingly nice, and decorated in a way that Baekhyun had never seen before (which he expected). The whole floor was covered in rug, different patterns and colors throughout the layout of the building. Huge, strobe lights hung from the ceiling, creating a rainbow-esque lighting scheme for those who were dancing in the main area. The club was filled with the widest array of people Baekhyun had ever seen, it seemed like a lot of people traveled from out of the region to come and spend their Saturday at this specific club. The people in the room (or as Baekhyun should say, the _creatures_ ) were dressed lavishly, sparkles and bold patterns adorning their outfits and even bolder makeup. 

Baekhyun wasn’t sure how he was supposed to stand out in the shirt Jongdae gave him. What he was wearing was hardly up to par with what the rest of people were wearing. 

There was a _huge_ stage at the front of the room, where a select few people were dancing, and not even particularly well. Baekhyun had no idea what criteria you needed to fit to be able to dance up there. 

He figured you didn’t need to be anyone special, though, since Jongdae was having the time of his _life_ making a fool of himself and dancing at the front of the stage, pulling out the most lavendish moves in the room. Baekhyun sat at the bar at the back of the room, watching his friend and laughing whenever Jongdae pointed at Baekhyun and hip thrust in his direction. He was drunk out of his mind. 

Baekhyun was getting there, too. He had about three drinks so far, not really keeping track of his alcohol consumption and only eye-balling how strong the alcohol was here. After his first two drinks, he figured he was brave enough to sit by himself at the bar, nodding a very strong ‘yes’ and spewing words of ‘I can do it!’ when Jongdae asked him repeatedly if it was okay for him to head to the dance floor on his own. 

He was always more of an introvert, and watching his friend dance (more like gallop) across the stage made his heart happy; Jongdae could have enough fun for the both of them. It was fun to watch people in an environment like this; he’d never seen the nightlife here, always being in his room by ten, and this was the best place to see how the people here celebrated. 

‘Excuse me, do you mind if I buy you a drink?’ 

Baekhyun heard a voice come from behind him, turning shyly to the deep voice behind him; the man he saw standing behind where he was sitting at the bar took him off guard. For starters, Baekhyun didn’t think that he’d actually spur anyone to approach him, and this man was _tall._ Not to mention handsome. 

‘Um.. sure, thank you. I’m not picky.’ Baekhyun said, a blush on his cheeks as the man sat down at the spare spot beside him, the latter eyeing him up and down, dedicating extra time to stare at Baekhyun’s exposed collarbones. Baekhyun wasn’t really interested in this guy, I mean sure, he was handsome; he was just too tipsy to make an actual judgement as to if he was actually interested, or just loving the attention. 

Either way, Baekhyun was getting a free drink out of it. 

The man ordered a drink for Baekhyun; he noticed that this man was dressed in all black, his hands covered in rings which reminded him of a certain someone. Baekhyun got a peek at the guy’s ears underneath his blonde hair; they were as big and pointy as someone else he knew. 

‘Here you go,’ the man said, handing Baekhyun his drink and lounging against the counter of the bar, his own drink in his hand. ‘I’ve been keeping an eye on you for quite some time now, gorgeous. I’ve never seen you here before,’ 

Baekhyun’s blush grew stronger; he doubted what the man said was true, but the prospect of someone eyeing him was interesting. Baekhyun decided to play along. There wasn’t any harm, anyway. If he needed to get out of anything he could just flag down Jongdae… 

‘What’s your name, if you don’t mind me asking?’

‘Baekhyun. You haven’t seen me here before because I’m kind of new, so…’ Baekhyun said, tucking a loose strand of his hair behind his ear. God, he was bad at small talk. 

‘Baekhyun? That’s a pretty name. Suits a pretty boy like yourself.’ The man continued, his compliment feeling incredibly empty at the receiving end. Baekhyun guessed he said this to every guy that he met. ‘I’m Kris. I think I’ve seen you around before, walking outside of the foundation down the street, what was the name again....’ 

‘Lucky One? Oh yeah, I’m sort of… living there right now. They took me in.’ Baekhyun said, feeling more drunk from the drink Kris ordered him. He decided to lay off the drink a little; he was starting to not think before he spoke. ‘Yeah, they’re nice. It’s nice to meet you, thank you for the drink, I’ve never tried it before!’ 

Kris laughed. ‘Wow, that drink is really popular around here. You must be really new.’ 

‘Since they took you in, I’m guessing you’re not from here, are you?’ 

‘Nope, I sort of found myself here by accident. I’m being well taken care of though, I’ll be heading back to my home soon.’ 

‘Ah, I see. Well, that’s good! It’s a shame I won’t be seeing your pretty face around here for much longer though…’ 

Baekhyun grimaced. He was barely interested in this guy and playing along seemed harder than he thought. In all honesty, he was bored. And dizzy. 

‘There’s something about you that’s different, I just can’t place my finger on it. I was hoping a closer look would help me out, but…’ Kris moved his face closer to Baekhyun’s, his voice growing deeper and barely audible over the pulsing music of the club. ‘Don’t tell me you’re a human, are you? That’s the only explanation I could think of when I look at you… so pliant.’ 

Baekhyun tried to move away, avoiding eye contact with the man in front of him. 

‘Um, yeah, I am. And you?’ 

‘Oh, baby, can’t you tell by the ears? I’m an Elf.’ 

Baekhyun stopped himself from visibly grimacing; this Elf was a lot different than the one he’d already known. 

‘I’m not like Chanyeol, though, no… I’m a Dark Elf. Much more mature. And capable,’ Kris said, moving his hand from the counter down to Baekhyun’s knee. 

Baekhyun twitched at the contact. 

‘Wait, how do you know about Chanyeol?’ Baekhyun said, a frown forming on his face. ‘Also, please move your hand, Kris.’ 

The taller man’s relaxed expression on his face faltered for a moment; he wasn’t expecting that from Baekhyun. The latter didn’t care, though; he valued his own personal space. 

‘Everyone around these parts knows Chanyeol, just how everyone around here knows me, Baek. That’s clear to everyone in this room except you; how cute.’ 

Baekhyun had to stop himself from rolling his eyes at the use of the nickname; couldn’t this guy take a hint? 

‘Oh, thanks for clearing that up. I’ll keep that in mind,’ Baekhyun said, moving to get up and find Jongdae. He wanted out of this. 

‘Where are you going? I was hoping you’d join me for a dance…’ Kris said, standing up too and showing Baekhyun how tall he was in comparison. Baekhyun felt small next to Kris; it was a much different feeling than when he was standing next to Chanyeol and their height difference rarely occurred to him. He felt the inequality between him and this new man; with him and Chanyeol, there wasn’t one. 

‘Oh.’ 

Baekhyun could probably inch his way towards Jongdae if he were to dance with this man, there’s no harm in a simple dance, right? 

‘Um, sure. Lead the way.’ 

Kris led them to the edge of the dance floor, right near the entrance to the club and extremely far from where Jongdae cemented his spot on the stage. He tugged on Baekhyun’s sleeve as he led them, stopping to turn around and smile at the shorter man as he started moving, the sensual beat of the music causing him to gyrate his hips in a way Baekhyun found most unappealing. 

Baekhyun played along, dancing as PG as he could while the other man in front of him inched closer, closing the distance between them as he placed his hands on Baekhyun’s waist. 

If it wasn’t for the alcohol, Baekhyun would have pulled his hands away by now. But by the amount that Baekhyun had to drink, the steady hold on his hips provided solace to the dizzy sensation he kept feeling. He closed his eyes and hummed to the music, opening them to turn his head to the front of the club and where the stage was. 

Kris’s hand extended to hold Baekhyun’s cheek and turn it towards his face, an ‘Eyes on me.’ barely audible as he strengthened his hold and leaned in closer, caging Baekhyun in. 

Baekhyun snapped out of the mini-trance he was put in by the alcohol and the music; he knew Kris’ attitude was a big red flag and he needed to get out of there, now. 

‘Kris, I…’ Baekhyun started, moving to take Kris’ hands off of his hips, the latter only lacing his fingers in with Baekhyun’s and holding tighter. 

‘Come on now, enjoy this moment with me, baby boy…’ Kris said, tightening his hold even more, turning Baekhyun around so his back was facing him. He whispered in his ear. ‘I can take care of you so well, I can’t believe Chanyeol left you here all alone…’ 

Baekhyun grew so confused; _why was he bringing up Chanyeol?_

‘Kris, let go of me, I swear,’ Baekhyun yelled, trying to pull his hands away but failing. ‘Kris, I said let-’ 

Baekhyun’s next few words were interrupted by the sound of a deep voice behind them, _incredibly_ hoarse and timbery. Baekhyun knew this voice. 

‘ _You heard him, Kris. Let go of him before I make you._ ’ 

Kris’ hold on Baekhyun immediately vanished, the both of them turning around towards the entrance. 

‘Chanyeol!’ Baekhyun said over the music, looking at the familiar face in front of him. Except it wasn’t the Chanyeol he’d known for the past couple of months, no. That Chanyeol had a kind face, with fluffy black hair, a huge smile and a cute dimple adorning his cheek. 

_This_ Chanyeol looked serious, _angry,_ close to yelling at the man beside Baekhyun and lunging at him, either or. He was dressed in all black, as Baekhyun was used to, except there was a crucial difference between this man and the man he saw only a couple days ago. 

This Chanyeol’s hair was _red._

‘What do you think you’re doing, Park?’ Kris said, stepping up to Chanyeol and completely forgetting about Baekhyun. ‘We were just having a little fun, is all.’ 

‘Little fun, my ass. You weren’t letting him breathe,’ Chanyeol said, his voice rough. He was slightly shorter than Kris, but what he lacked in height he made up for in presence. Baekhyun never saw him look this intimidating; the red hair added to it. 

‘I knew I’d see your slimy face if I stepped in here. And look who I see, not even five seconds from me entering,’ Chanyeol said. ‘You need to leave. Now.’ 

‘Hold on, who said you’re in charge, hmm? I was enjoying my dance with my Baekkie, here,’ Kris spat back, motioning at Baekhyun and eyeing him up and down, again. ‘Pretty nice one you’ve got this time around, Park. I have to admit, I didn’t know you swung that way,’ 

‘He’s prettier than Irene ever was, that’s for sure.’ 

Baekhyun missed the way Chanyeol ran at Kris, engaging in a yelling match as he heard Chanyeol repeatedly say ‘You need to leave, you’ve had too much to drink’, mixed with ‘Leave him alone, he’s not yours to claim.’. Baekhyun missed the way Kris pushed Chanyeol, who didn’t budge from the intrusion but just stood his ground stronger. Baekhyun missed Kris leaving the club in a hurry, and the way Chanyeol walked over towards him calmly, softly saying ‘Are you okay?’. 

Baekhyun couldn’t stop repeating what Kris had said to Chanyeol: _Pretty nice one you’ve got this time around, Park. Prettier than Irene ever was._

Baekhyun ignored Chanyeol, heading towards the exit of the club and getting away from the intense noise inside. He felt suffocated by what just happened; he needed some air. 

‘Baekhyun, wait!’ He heard Chanyeol yell behind him, following after him into the dark as Baekhyun walked further away from the club, stopping at an alley nearby and running his hands through his hair. His face, skin and body felt hot, too warm. 

He felt the ugly emotion he felt before when he was speaking with Jongdae creep up into his system again. The alcohol he consumed only seemed to heighten the feeling; Baekhyun felt frustrated both at himself and the fact that he had to hear Kris say all of that blatantly embarrassing stuff to Chanyeol. 

‘Chanyeol, what was that? I could have handled myself, you know? I’m not yours to save, either,’ Baekhyun said, his speech speeding up as he got more and more frustrated. He turned to Chanyeol behind him; he looked out of breath and speechless, carrying a bottle of water which he could only guess could be for him. 

‘That was really embarrassing, what just happened. I had a plan, I’m not some damsel in distress. I know I’m not as strong as you, I know I’m different, but for the love of God, did you have to do that?’ 

Baekhyun’s anger and frustration seemed to come out all at once. ‘Now you’ve made me look like a fool in front of that guy, can you imagine how it felt to hear him say that stuff to me?’ 

The look on Chanyeol’s face was soft, and full of pity. He walked closer to Baekhyun, letting him speak. 

‘I know you’re the one who knows all about this place, not me. But that doesn’t mean you know what the right thing to do is all the time, Chanyeol. You should have just left me alone,’ Baekhyun shouted, tears starting to well up in his eyes and his voice giving out. He put his head in his hands; God, he felt pathetic. 

‘You should have just left me alone. I didn’t need that.’ Baekhyun said, giving in and letting himself cry. He was so utterly frustrated, and still dizzy from before. 

He felt a strong pair of arms wrap around him; not the strong, possessive arms from the club, but the soft, warm ones he knew only belonged to one person. Chanyeol. 

He let his head fall on Chanyeol’s shoulder. 

‘You’re right, Baekhyun. You didn’t need that.’ 

Chanyeol’s soft voice was the only thing Baekhyun heard in the empty alleyway; he could feel the up and down of his chest as he inhaled and exhaled. Baekhyun matched his breathing to Chanyeol’s. 

‘That wasn’t what you deserved, not at all. And I know you don’t need me. You’re my strong Baekhyun, remember? Of course you don’t need my help, I know that.’ Chanyeol said, rubbing circles on Baekhyun’s back as Baekhyun let his full weight rest on his chest. 

‘I’m so sorry, Baekhyun. For barging in like that and making a scene, it wasn’t right of me to assume you needed my saving,’ Chanyeol spoke quietly. ‘It’s just that I got worried, and angry too quickly, which is entirely my fault. I can’t let anything happen to you, not when I know Kris and what his true intentions are…’ 

Baekhyun’s breath hitched at Chanyeol’s confession; what did he mean by saying he can’t let anything happen to him? 

‘Please forgive me. I was scared and acted out. I should have trusted you.’ 

Baekhyun lifted his head to look at Chanyeol; the furrow in his eyebrows was gone from before and replaced with the same soft, puppy-eyed face that he knew. Baekhyun felt safe looking at him.

‘It’s okay, Chanyeol… Thank you. I was just frustrated, that was a lot for me. I’m sure it was for you too…’ Baekhyun said, savouring the feeling of Chanyeol’s arms around him and his hands clasped behind his back. 

‘I just wasn’t expecting any of that, at all. Everything’s so new. And I thought you’d be away tonight, why are you here? Why is your hair _red?_ ’ 

Baekhyun couldn’t stop his curiosity from dictating the conversation. He watched as Chanyeol’s face broke out into a smile, and felt a chuckle roll through his chest. 

‘The conference ended early, we were scheduled to finish Sunday morning, but finished everything by Saturday evening, so I rushed back here. I missed you, Baekhyun,’ Chanyeol said, sighing. ‘I came back to the foundation and couldn’t find you in your room, so I asked around. I heard from Seulgi that you and Jongdae had gone to the club, and I figured…’ 

‘I figured there were people there that would give you trouble, so I came. And then chaos ensued.’ He laughed, not in a lighthearted way but almost in a pitiful way. A guilty way. 

‘Once again, I’m really, really sorry. I don’t want to leave the impression on you that I think you’re weak, Baekhyun. I think quite the opposite.’ 

Baekhyun hummed, smiling up at Chanyeol whose lips were in such a deep pout it was almost comical. He returned to his spot on Chanyeol’s chest, his upper body leaning on the taller man’s frame, as if in defeat. 

‘You still haven’t told me why your hair is red, Chanyeol.’ 

‘Oh, um… That kinda happens whenever I get angry, I guess that’s what you could say. Intense emotions change the state of my hair.’ 

Baekhyun instantly shot up, looking at Chanyeol with wide eyes and an incredulous look on his face. ‘ _What_ ?’ 

‘It happens whenever I feel really intense emotions, Baekhyun. My hair color changes, among other things. I rarely notice it.’ Chanyeol confessed, ‘I forgot to mention it.’ 

Baekhyun couldn’t believe it. For one, he found the fact that Chanyeol’s hair turned on really cool, he would have never dreamed that’s something Chanyeol could do. And two, a small (large) part of him found the fiery red haired Chanyeol in front of him hot. 

Baekhyun blamed it on the alcohol. 

‘How does one forget to mention that?’

‘Sorry.’ Chanyeol deadpanned.

They both looked at one another, bursting into laughter after a couple seconds of silence and pulling away from one another. Baekhyun couldn’t believe he had fallen for such a goof. 

Chanyeol handed Baekhyun the water bottle in his hands; Baekhyun was grateful, drinking the entire thing in one go. 

‘We best be going home now, Baek. It’s really late. Luckily my house isn’t far from here,’ Chanyeol said, starting to walk out of the alley. Baekhyun did a double take. 

‘Wait, what? Why are we going to your house? What about Jongdae?’ 

‘Well, my house is a lot closer to here than your room is, and I have a guest bedroom. I wouldn’t want you to walk home by yourself now, anyway. You look pretty dizzy.’ Chanyeol said, slowing down to match Baekhyun’s strides. ‘Before I came to the club I spoke with Junmyeon; he’ll take care of Jongdae for the night. They’re probably both at the foundation by now.’ 

Baekhyun weighed the options in his head; a long(er) walk home to his room, or a night at Chanyeol’s house…

‘Fine, let’s go to your place. I really have to use the bathroom, anyway.’ Baekhyun said, fake running ahead of Chanyeol to the street across from them. 

‘Baek, you’re going the wrong way!’ Chanyeol laughed. 

Baekhyun felt Chanyeol’s hand grab his as he tugged him in the opposite direction, down a tiny path through someone’s yard. 

‘Come with me, I know a shortcut.’ 

Baekhyun gripped Chanyeol’s hand, intertwining their fingers. 

\---

Chanyeol’s house was everything Baekhyun expected; cozy, with artwork on the walls, little plants near every window and multiple instruments scattered around the living room. It wasn’t big, nor small; it was a _home,_ it was Chanyeol. And it smelt like Chanyeol, too. 

Baekhyun was in heaven. 

‘Hey, I didn’t know you could play piano!’ Baekhyun said, walking over to a piano situated at the corner of Chanyeol’s living room, the latter of which was down the hall, fetching Baekhyun some extra blankets. 

‘Oh yeah, I do. Not as much as I play guitar, though.’ Chanyeol yelled, his footsteps coming closer once he found what he was looking for. Baekhyun was enamored in the way Chanyeol had decorated the place; he had a lot of different books on his shelves, most of them having to do with music or learning languages. His couch looked extremely worn in, and well loved. You could tell that Chanyeol spent a lot of time in this room, and Baekhyun knew why: it was a safe space. 

The light from the multiple lamps in the room made everything slightly dimmer, which made Baekhyun appreciate the tranquility of the night. Chanyeol lived in a quiet neighborhood. 

‘Here, Baekhyun, I’ve gotten you extra blankets and an extra pillow, I don’t want you getting cold in the night,’ Chanyeol said, coming into the living room. ‘The furnace usually kicks on about four in the morning, but if not, you have those. I put them in the room. And I’ve got some pajamas for you, here…’ 

Chanyeol seemed shy all of a sudden, handing Baekhyun his ‘pajamas’ with a shy grin on his face. He had changed into pajamas, too: a plain grey shirt with plaid red pajama bottoms. He looked extremely cuddly, Baekhyun thought. 

‘Thank you,’ Baekhyun said, looking down at the shirt and bottoms. They seemed like they were old clothes Chanyeol owned; ones he probably didn’t fit anymore. It was just a black shirt and black shorts, exactly what Baekhyun needed. ‘These are more than fine, Chanyeol. I can change in the guest room…?’ 

‘Right! It’s just over here,’ Chanyeol spoke, growing more shy the longer Baekhyun stayed in his house. 

Baekhyun wasn’t sure why this act made Chanyeol so shy, I mean, they _had_ hugged in the alleyway just minutes before… 

_God, he’s so cute._

‘Just come this way, the room you’re staying in is right across from mine.’ 

Chanyeol led Baekhyun to the guest bedroom, a plain looking room equipped with a dresser, a nightstand, a mirror and a bed. It wasn’t much in terms of furniture, but it was definitely nicer than Baekhyun’s room. And the bed was twice the size of Baekhyun’s, too. 

‘You have a cute little guest room, Chanyeol,’ Baekhyun said, eyeing around the room and smiling at the little purple alarm clock on the nightstand. It had music notes painted onto it. 

‘Thanks again. God, I feel so bad for yelling at you earlier,’

Baekhyun’s eyes shifted towards Chanyeol, who had inched closer to Baekhyun when he had his back turned. ‘I wanted to say that you don’t need to worry about that. I know you were just looking out for me, like any good friend would.’ 

Chanyeol smiled faintly, toying with the hem of his shirt.

‘I really appreciate you, Chanyeol. I’m not upset at you at all.’ Baekhyun walked closer to Chanyeol, coming so close that he could take Chanyeol into his arms, if he wanted to (which he very much did). 

Chanyeol exhaled, keeping eye contact with Baekhyun as he thought about what he said. The only sound in the room was that of the analog clock from the hallway, and their own breathing. 

Baekhyun thought Chanyeol looked so beautiful up close; he could see the contours of his face, the lines from when he smiled and the cute little mole on his nose. He looked apprehensive, as if on the verge of saying something he would later regret, or maybe just too shy to say out loud just yet. His red hair was the perfect contrast against his brown eyes; Baekhyun thought he looked breathtaking.

Chanyeol paused his breath before he spoke next, with a voice so soft Baekhyun barely heard it. 

‘You looked really pretty tonight, Baekhyun. I just wanted to say that.’ 

Baekhyun looked up at Chanyeol, who averted his eyes to the ground. He reached out for his forearm; why was Chanyeol so shy? 

‘Chanyeol, I…’ 

He smiled at the ground, looking up at Baekhyun with the most sincere look in his eyes. Baekhyun felt like he could melt. 

‘I should probably let you sleep now. I’m cooking breakfast early tomorrow and I’m expecting you to attend,’ Chanyeol said, moving to leave the room. ‘Please sleep well. I’m right across the hall if you need anything, _anything at all._ ’ 

Baekhyun couldn’t help but feel that Chanyeol meant more from saying that than what he initially tried to convey. 

‘Goodnight, Baekhyun.’ 

Chanyeol closed the door, the sound of him walking into his own room and shutting the door the only thing Baekhyun could hear in the house. 

Once again, Chanyeol left Baekhyun speechless. 

Once again, Chanyeol left Baekhyun missing him.

\---

Baekhyun walked down the hall of the house; it was morning, just past nine, and he could smell the familiar aroma of bacon coming from the kitchen. He had originally woken up at around seven, and he knew Chanyeol was awake too, yet he let his host enjoy a few hours to himself before he left his room. 

He needed time to think of how to go about this morning anyway, thanks to last night. Baekhyun couldn’t stop thinking about what Chanyeol did, what Chanyeol _said._

‘Right on time, Baekhyun! I knew you’d come out when you smelt breakfast cooking,’ 

Baekhyun walked into the kitchen, taken aback at the sight waiting for him and feeling his heart _explode_ at the cuteness of it all. 

Chanyeol stood in front of the stove, still looking identical to when he said good night to Baekhyun, except his hair had returned to the fluffy black that Baekhyun adored. The only thing that was new was how absolutely messy Chanyeol’s hair was; it was still obviously bed hair, with strands splaying out every which way, and Baekhyun’s heart soared at how cute it made the tall man in front of him look (close to a little lion, Baekhyun thought). 

He had his back turned to Baekhyun, towering over the stove as well as the bacon and eggs he was cooking for them (he noted the pancakes that were already made, too). Chanyeol’s apron looked adorable on him, a red and green pattern on it that Baekhyun could only guess was a Christmas present at one point. 

‘I figured pancakes, bacon and eggs were the safest option. I know you said you’re not picky, but these are the best things I can cook!’ Chanyeol said, finishing with the food and carrying them on plates to the table. 

Baekhyun sat down, a smile of pure contentment on his face. ‘This looks great, Chanyeol thank you. And good morning!’ 

He started dishing himself out the food, he didn’t realize how hungry he had been. 

‘I should have figured you have the most intense bed head I’ve ever seen,’ Baekhyun laughed, paying extra attention to the way Chanyeol’s eyes widened and ears reddened as he cut his pancakes. 

‘Don’t be embarrassed. It’s cute.’ 

‘I don’t think I own a brush,’ Chanyeol said in between bites, ‘it’s usually just me here so I never really notice. I guess I should have known you wouldn’t let me forget about it!’ 

‘Exactly!’ Baekhyun said, ‘I can’t miss an opportunity once I see it, with being your guest of honor and all…’ 

Chanyeol smiled at that, leaning over the table to pour himself juice. Baekhyun felt like he was losing his mind; the way Chanyeol’s arm muscles strained as he picked up the carton made his heart skip a beat. He momentarily forgot about his breakfast. 

‘Say, Baekhyun, I was thinking,’ Chanyeol started, dimple growing deeper as he smiled more, ‘I want to make it up to you for last night. And, well, I was kinda up for a while thinking about how much time we have left with you here, I mean, how much time _you_ have left with everyone…’ 

‘You can say no if you don’t think it’s a good idea. But I was actually wondering if you’d want to go on a short trip with me? I can’t stand the thought of you leaving and not seeing more of this world than the couple shops down the street, and I just… I want to do this for you. Just me and you, what do you think?’ 

Baekhyun was shocked, trying not to let it show on his face but he was sure he was failing because _a whole trip alone? With Chanyeol? Just me and him?_

For Baekhyun the answer was obvious. 

‘Oh my god, Chanyeol, I’d love to go!’ Baekhyun said, the look on his face turning into one of excitement, ‘That sounds so nice, of course I’d want to do that. I guess I haven’t seen much of this place, have I? Where do you want to go?’ 

‘I was thinking of my parent’s place, back in my hometown.’ 

Baekhyun almost spit out the orange juice he was drinking. 

‘Y-you want me to meet your parents?’ 

‘Well, yes, like I said I’ve been thinking about it a lot and… I don’t see why not. My father passed away when I was young, but my mom is still there for us to visit!’ Chanyeol said, the dimple on his cheek growing deeper. ‘And other people, too. I chose my hometown because it’s only a two day trip away and it’s a part of me that I want you to see.’

_This man is going to kill me._ , Baekhyun thought. 

‘Chanyeol, I…. wow. I’d love to meet her and see where you grew up. I’m in!’ Baekhyun said, ‘Does this mean we’re going on a road trip?’ 

Chanyeol laughed. ‘Yes, Baekhyun, that’s exactly what it means. Honestly I was nervous to ask you but looking back, I’m not sure why. This trip will be something you’ll always remember, I promise!’ 

‘Yeah, I just hope your mom likes me. That’s all I’m thinking of right now,’ Baekhyun said, scooping pieces of pancake into his mouth, smiling at Chanyeol as the latter got up to put some of the dishes in the sink. 

‘Don’t worry about it, she’ll adore you and your big ears,’ Chanyeol said, looking over his shoulder at Baekhyun and flashing him his cheesiest smile before returning to the dishes. 

Chanyeol wasn’t facing his direction, and Baekhyun was glad. If he did, he would have known. 

Baekhyun was falling in love. 

\--- 

‘No way, no _way._ You’ve got to be kidding me. You spend _one_ night at the man’s house and he’s already taking you home to meet the parents?’ Jongdae said in astonishment, watching as Baekhyun packed a small bag for their trip. He and Chanyeol agreed to leave the next day, early afternoon; Chanyeol had some work he had to attend to before then, and Baekhyun didn’t want to rush him. 

‘Baekhyun, what did you _do?_ ’

‘I didn’t do anything, Jongdae!’ 

‘Baek, listen to me. I’ve known Chanyeol for what, fifteen plus years? And I’ve never seen him this way. Not once. You’ve got the man whipped, my friend.’ 

Jongdae lounged on Baekhyun’s bed, playing with the loose strings on his blanket. ‘Watching you guys play this game of back and forth is literally driving me up the wall. I swear, every day it’s something new!’ 

Baekhyun just smiled, focusing on folding his shirts for his suitcase (that Chanyeol lent him); should he go with the black long sleeve or the white long sleeve? 

He decided for both. 

Jongdae squinted. ‘Are you _sure_ you guys didn’t do anything last night? No sex, no kisses, no cuddles in the middle of the night?’ 

Baekhyun sighed. ‘For the last time, Dae, nothing happened! He just took me home and we went to bed. I didn’t even sleep with him, I slept across the hall.’ 

‘Oh. _Oh.’_ Jongdae said, ‘that makes sense, I get it now. You know Chanyeol has two guest bedrooms, right? The one he always puts me in is the one on the opposite side of the house, not across from his room, the bastard. I’m calling that as evidence of him trying to _make the move.’_

‘You are absolutely insane.’ Baekhyun laughed, almost ready to zip up his suitcase. He didn’t have any plans for the rest of the day except to hang out with Jongdae, lay on his bed, and think about the trip (and more specifically Chanyeol, of course). 

‘Call it what you want, Baekhyun, but I can see right through you two. There’s no point in trying to fool your best friend!’ 

Baekhyun hit Jongdae with his pillow, breaking out in laughter after Jongdae poked his tongue out at him. He was glad he had the rest of the day to himself before he spent the next couple of days with Chanyeol; they hadn’t agreed for how long they’d be away, but Baekhyun figured it’d be at least a week. 

He needed time today to gather himself so he won’t turn into a puddle of mush the moment Chanyeol picked him up tomorrow (okay, Baekhyun _was_ replaying the way he said ‘I can’t wait to see you’ over, and over, and _over_ ). Baekhyun was well aware of how screwed he was. 

Later that night, as he was looking over his suitcase and mentally checking off all that he needed to bring, Baekhyun couldn’t help but feel as if he were forgetting something. 

He’d felt like that for the whole day, actually; when Jongdae was over helping him pack, he could sense his hesitation in saying that he was ready to go. 

Baekhyun sat on his bed, sighing; he didn’t need to bring much, right? Just toiletries and clothes? 

As if on instinct, Baekhyun turned his head to the far corner of his room, where his little table was. There, beside his wooden basket, was a tiny silver object he had forgotten about. 

Baekhyun’s ring. 

He still didn’t have an idea as to why Chanyeol had an almost identical one, he’d been mulling it over in his mind and couldn’t come to any conclusions. In a way, that ring was the reason why Baekhyun was there in the first place, he’d never forget the strange pull it exerted on him when he fell into the well and the way it glowed in bright red, as if sealing in his fate. 

In a way, this ring had brought Baekhyun to Chanyeol. And that had to mean something, right?

Baekhyun felt like he was going crazy, there’s no way a ring could hold so much significance. Yet something within Baekhyun told him he shouldn’t leave it at home; it was owned by him now, and it was irresponsible to just leave it in his room to collect dust. 

Sighing, Baekhyun unzipped the tiny pocket at the front of his case, folding the ring in a tiny piece of napkin he had lying around. 

He packed the ring in his bag, making sure it wouldn’t get damaged during his travels, and went to bed. 

\---

If Baekhyun thought his crush on Chanyeol was bad before, it was about to be magnified tenfold by this roadtrip they had planned. 

Nothing could have ever prepared Baekhyun for the sight that was Chanyeol driving; he picked him up in a vehicle that Baekhyun guessed ran similar to a car, with the way that it was constructed and looked visually. Chanyeol kept his eyes on the road in front of him, sparingly glancing at Baekhyun when he was talking to Baekhyun but keeping focus. 

Baekhyun wasn’t so lucky. 

He felt like a teenager, ogling the man beside him who just _had_ to have one hand on the wheel and one on his thigh, his forearm flexing whenever he took a turn and his hair blowing from the wind of the slightly cracked window. So much for keeping composure. 

They continued on like that, making small talk and Chanyeol pointing out little sight-seeing spots as they drove down the road; it was a beautiful Spring day, the sun lighting their way as they traveled. 

Baekhyun soon found out that Chanyeol loved to pass time by story telling, telling Baekhyun about the urban myths and legends, what folk tales were different here compared to Earth, which ones were true and which ones were just blatant lies. 

He talked about himself, too; Chanyeol was so visibly excited at the prospect of showing Baekhyun his hometown that he could barely sit still in his seat. Baekhyun couldn’t help but be really excited, too. Normally he’d be more nervous than anything, but he trusted that any family of Chanyeol’s would be as accepting and comforting as him. Plus, he was anxious to see if his theory of Chanyeol being an absolute mama’s boy was true or not. 

The afternoon soon turned into evening, and then dusk; Baekhyun didn’t even realize how late it was getting from how much he and Chanyeol were talking. Time flew by like nothing, and the gradual decline of the Sun reminded them that they needed to stop and rest for the night. 

Baekhyun didn’t pack any money, genuinely not having any currency or even having an idea of what kind of currency they had here, but Chanyeol was reassuring in saying that he’d pay for a hotel room. It was a slight expense he’d be willing to sacrifice. 

‘We’ll have to stay here for tonight,’ Chanyeol said, pulling into a rather dodgy-looking motel in the tiniest town Baekhyun had ever seen. He didn’t mind, but he had a feeling Chanyeol did. ‘I know the next town isn’t for another two hours or so, I usually reach there since I leave earlier in the day whenever I travel. This’ll have to do for now.’

Baekhyun hummed in agreement, ‘It’s okay, I just want to sleep. Anything will do at this point!’ 

They gathered their suitcases from the back and walked up the pathway to the motel entrance. Baekhyun spotted familiar flowers growing outside, the cobblestone of the pathway cracking and letting some of the yellow flowers Baekhyun had seen in the garden break through. The motel, although small and slightly run-down, had a faint charm to it; with the way the sun was setting, the light coming from inside the building made it seem like a solace to reside in that night. 

The two of them entered into a lobby-type area; to the right was a long hallway full of rooms, to the left a tiny restaurant and bar for guests to eat in during their stay. Baekhyun smiled once he got inside, it was pretty cozy. 

‘This place is pretty small,’ Chanyeol said, huffing as he carried his (significantly larger) suitcase, taking out his wallet from his jeans and walking to the front desk. ‘I’ll get us a room, do you mind sitting here and waiting in the meantime Baek?’ 

‘Sure,’ Baekhyun said, plopping down on a tiny armchair near the entrance to the restaurant/bar. ‘Please don’t splurge on huge rooms or anything, Chanyeol, you know I don’t need much.’

‘Don’t worry, I’m sure they don’t even have any rooms that are as big as you’re thinking. I’ll be right back with our keys,’ Chanyeol winked, shutting Baekhyun up as he was about to think of something clever to say. 

Baekhyun watched Chanyeol walk to the front desk, towering over the tiny concierge at the front and obviously charming her with his deep voice and handsome looks. Baekhyun smiled and looked away, fidgeting with his fingers as he kept an eye on his suitcase that was bunched at his feet. 

His eyes averted to the room beside him, looking at random people enjoying their time at the bar or sitting down at the restaurant. For a tiny motel, it sure had a lot of patrons; Baekhyun could see an array of people, and some families, too; he hoped they could get rooms for the both of them. 

Just as Baekhyun was about to look back to Chanyeol, his eye caught on a familiar face seated at the bar. 

Baekhyun saw Kris, sitting nonchalantly at the counter, eyeing Baekhyun and sipping on his drink. 

Baekhyun’s breath froze. Why was Kris here, in the same place as he and Chanyeol for a second night? Was he following them? 

Kris kept eye contact, narrowing his eyes once he realized Baekhyun had spotted him yet holding his gaze. Baekhyun looked away; the way Kris was looking at him was as if he wanted to take Baekhyun, cage him in and make him feel suffocated just like he did the night before. 

Baekhyun gathered up his courage and looked back at the bar, opting to get one last look before getting up and telling Chanyeol. 

However the unwanted face he saw just seconds before wasn’t _there,_ wasn’t _anywhere_ as Baekhyun scanned the room, eyes darting from corner to corner. He wasn’t seeing things, right? But how could someone just up and vanish in a mere matter of seconds, for Kris to leave the restaurant he’d have to pass by Baekhyun, who was sitting near the entrance… 

Baekhyun felt a shiver run down his spine, the thought of Kris approaching him or even being in arms distance throwing him into a sudden bout of anxiety and worry. He didn’t want to admit it, but the encounter with him during the weekend had really bothered him; he hadn’t given it much thought today because of how well things were going with Chanyeol. He couldn’t stop the anxiety from filling his mind, though. If Kris was actually here, then he was most definitely following him and Chanyeol, or worse, Baekhyun was seeing things and his anxiety was getting the better of him. 

He was starting to zone out, mind frozen at what just happened and his interactions with Kris replaying in his memory. 

‘Baekhyun, I got the keys- hey, what’s wrong?’ 

Chanyeol walked up to Baekhyun, crouching down in front of him and making Baekhyun make eye contact. ‘Baek, you look like you’ve just seen a ghost. What happened?’ 

Baekhyun broke his trance and looked at Chanyeol, seeing the intense worry in his face from the telltale sign of his furrowed eyebrows. He looked back to the bar, and to the chair Kris was sitting at (or at least Baekhyun thought he was). Chanyeol’s eyes followed Baekhyun’s, and then back to each other. 

‘Please talk to me, Baek. You look pretty shaken up.’ Chanyeol’s voice was as light as a feather. 

Baekhyun sighed, mouth breaking into a tiny smile as he looked down to his hands in his lap. ‘It’s nothing, I thought I saw something but it was just the exhaustion talking.’ 

‘I didn’t get much sleep last night, I kinda see things when I’m sleep deprived.’ Baekhyun lied. ‘I’m okay though, just zoned out for a minute.’ 

Chanyeol scanned Baekhyun’s face, the look of worry not being lessened one bit by Baekhyun’s explanation. Baekhyun knew that Chanyeol could probably tell he was lying, but he opted to not bug Baekhyun about it anymore, to his relief. 

‘We should go to our rooms now! I know you must be tired too, Chanyeol.’ 

Chanyeol stood up, helping Baekhyun to his feet as they walked down the hallway of rooms. ‘About that… I talked to the concierge. Unfortunately there’s only one room left for the night, the one at the very end.’ 

Baekhyun’s eyebrow quirked up at Chanyeol; he had a slight blush of embarrassment when he told Baekhyun about their situation ( _of course,_ he thought). 

‘We’ll have to share a room. Don’t worry, though, there’s two beds in there for us to sleep on.’

They reached the end of the hallway, Chanyeol turning the key to the doorknob and opening the room to the both of them. Baekhyun walked in, instantly hit with the smell of cleaner, old bedding, and something that sure smelt like mold but he didn’t have the heart to figure out what it was. 

There were two beds to the right of the room, with a nightstand in between and one lone lamp. The opposite wall had a desk and a tiny chair; there wasn’t much else in the room besides that, to Baekhyun’s disappointment. He was hoping there’d be a couch. 

Chanyeol walked in, throwing his suitcase down on the farthest bed and taking out some of his clothes. ‘It’s not much, but it’ll do for tonight. I’m going to take this bed here, is that alright with you, Baek?’ 

Baekhyun walked in, setting his suitcase at the end of his bed and unzipping it, taking out his own pajamas, too. ‘Sure, that’s fine! I’m good with this one.’ 

The smaller of the two sat down on the bed, feeling the mattress instantly sink in deeper than he expected and the sound of springs being bent. ‘I hope your bed is in a better state than mine…’

Chanyeol laughed lightly, throwing his clothes over his shoulder. ‘I wouldn’t bet on that, they both look pretty old!’ 

He walked over to Baekhyun, scanning his eyes over him again. ‘You’re sure you’re okay? This’ll be my last time asking.’ 

Baekhyun felt as though he could see right through him.

‘Yes, I’m sure, Chanyeol. I promise.’ 

Baekhyun avoided eye contact with Chanyeol as he said this; he was never a really good liar. ‘I’m almost on the verge of passing out here, do you think I could change into my pajamas?’

Chanyeol’s mouth went into a straight line, weighing what Baekhyun just told him. 

‘Yeah, for sure.’ is what he settled on.

‘You can change out here, I’m just gonna go to the bathroom quickly and change in there, okay? I’ll be back and then we can sleep.’ 

After Baekhyun changed into his pajamas (a light blue set he bought when he was with Jongdae), he crawled into bed, relishing the feeling of the covers over him and the softness of the pillow. Even though he spent all day sitting in a vehicle, Baekhyun was exhausted. Spending anywhere all day other than home really took its toll on him. 

He tried to stop himself from thinking of earlier, and of the overwhelming sense of worry he could sense from Chanyeol. Baekhyun knew that he didn’t want to worry him, not with his own problems or by telling him he could have seen something that he was sure was a hallucination, anyway. Baekhyun knew better; he knew anxiety could make you convince yourself of things that weren’t true. He’d just have to wait it out. 

Baekhyun let his eyes close and drift off to a light sleep; the sounds from the bathroom sounded like Chanyeol turned on the shower, and the sound of the water running was soothing. 

A couple minutes later, he heard the familiar sound of Chanyeol’s humming as he exited the bathroom, turning off the entrance light and walking over to where Baekhyun was. Chanyeol’s voice was soothing; at this time of night it was deep and warm, and so so soft. 

‘Baekhyun, I-’ Chanyeol started, stopping once he saw him in bed, eyes closed. 

_‘I’m gonna turn the light off,_ ’ Chanyeol said in a tiny whisper, his voice growing a tiny bit higher in octave. Baekhyun, eyes still closed, smiled; he just sounded so cute. 

‘You can keep it on if you want to stay up for a bit more,’ Baekhyun said, opening his eyes slightly. ‘I really don’t mind- wait. What happened to your hair?’ 

Chanyeol grew sheepish and blushed as Baekhyun looked up at him from where he was laying down on the bed, sitting down on his mattress and averting his eyes. 

‘Um, it changed again? I noticed it after my shower.’ 

He laughed nervously, still avoiding Baekhyun’s eye contact. ‘Listen, please don’t make fun of the purple. It happens to be one of my favorite colors on me.’ 

Baekhyun started laughing, not in annoyance but at how shocking this was every time it happened; Chanyeol’s hair color really changed just like _that._

‘Hey, knock it off! I love purple. But what does it mean? I remember you saying it reflects your emotions, so…? Is that your tired color or something?’ 

Baekhyun kicked his feet under the covers at Chanyeol, smiling. ‘Or maybe you’re just annoyed by having me around all day, is that it?’

‘No, but nice try. It turns this color whenever I’m… well, I’m not sure exactly what the emotion is, but I’ve noticed I get purple whenever I’m concerned or worried. Protective, I guess you could call it.’ 

Chanyeol finally looked at Baekhyun, whose eyes grew softer. 

_Chanyeol really cared for him._

‘Chanyeol, I… listen, please don’t be worried about me. I promised you I’m fine,’ Baekhyun sat up, moving strands of hair behind his ear as he talked. ‘Just before you came out of the bathroom I was almost asleep, I told you I was tired! So it was just that.’ 

‘I know, and I believe you but-’ 

Chanyeol paused. ‘But I can’t help but worry for you sometimes, Baekhyun. I don’t want this trip to be too much for you, if taking you on this was too much too soon then I-’ 

‘Chanyeol. Stop. There’s nowhere I’d rather be right now,’ Baekhyun said, trying his best to sound reassuring. He didn’t want Chanyeol blaming himself at all. 

‘I’ve loved today with you Chanyeol. Nothing about tonight has changed that. I think we’ve had the perfect day, or at least I have.’ 

‘Really?’ Chanyeol said, his voice giving away the insecurity he previously felt. ‘I was worried I was boring you, or tiring you out, or maybe after this weekend it’s too weird for me to take you away for a week…’ 

‘Chanyeol, listen to yourself. Have I looked bored this entire day? During the entire time I’ve known you?’ 

Baekhyun sat up straighter, determined to get his point across. ‘I really do love every second with you, you know. With your stories and your huge laugh and your million hand gestures whenever you tell me something new. There’s no way I couldn’t love this.’ 

He decided to bite the bullet. 

‘I really like you, Chanyeol. The way you care for me and always listen to what I have to say, and I’m being honest about that.’ 

Chanyeol’s breath hitched in his throat; he looked like he wanted to say something, opening his mouth to do so, closing it again after a millisecond. Baekhyun felt his own heart racing. 

The apprehension in Chanyeol’s demeanour settled and was replaced with warmth as he looked at Baekhyun, lying in his covers and in his light blue pajama set.

‘I like you too, Baekhyun. I really do,’ he smiled, scooting closer from where he was sitting on Baekhyun’s bed. ‘I’ve liked you ever since I first saw you.’ 

‘Yeah?’ Baekhyun said, mind growing hazy from the compliments. He felt so _warm,_ almost on the verge of sleep but not wanting to give up this moment with Chanyeol. Sleep could wait. 

Chanyeol’s eyes were drifting from Baekhyun’s eyes to the rest of him; first to Baekhyun’s hands that sat atop the blanket in front of him, then his chest, then his lips. Baekhyun had never felt someone’s gaze so intensely before.

Chanyeol was so close. 

‘Baekhyun…’ 

He moved closer, closing Baekhyun in between him and the headboard behind him, moving his arm to grip the bedpost as he leaned in. Baekhyun stopped breathing, not believing the situation he was in. Chanyeol looked like he wanted to kiss him, and by the way he was looking at Baekhyun’s lips as he moved in, it would happen any second. 

Before Baekhyun could lean in, too, a sudden thud came from the neighboring room that was _too loud_ to be anything other than something hitting the wall. To Baekhyun’s disappointment, Chanyeol moved back from where he was, the sound startling him and causing his eyebrows to furrow. Baekhyun was speechless; how could he tell Chanyeol he didn’t want him to move away? 

‘What was that?’ Chanyeol said, looking behind Baekhyun to the wall and then around the room. ‘I didn’t think anyone would be up at this time of night…’ 

‘Yeah, um… I’m not sure,’ Baekhyun said, regaining his composure and sitting up straight, clutching the blankets. ‘It’s probably just someone accidentally bumping into the wall in the next room, maybe…’ 

‘Yeah, you’re right.’ 

The silence between them was unavoidable; it was obvious that neither Baekhyun or Chanyeol had any idea of what to say after what just happened. 

Baekhyun pouted when Chanyeol turned his face to look at his own bed. He already missed the warmth he had just a couple moments ago. 

Chanyeol sighed, acting innocent. ‘I guess we should go to bed now, hey?’ 

‘Yeah, or we could, you know… do other things.’ Baekhyun said, cringing at the shamelessness of what he just said but trying not to scream out at Chanyeol to kiss him like he was just about to. This whole thing was so frustrating. 

‘Like what?’ Chanyeol said, picking up on the hint dropped by Baekhyun. His voice was deep and hoarse, ultimately getting up to sit in his own bed. ‘It’s late, Baekhyun. As much as I’d like to stay up and do other things with you, you need to rest for tomorrow. If we did anything now, I’m sure we’d be up half the night.’ 

Baekhyun squeezed his thighs together at Chanyeol’s words; he knew that they were fairly innocent, that Chanyeol probably didn’t mean what Baekhyun _thought_ he meant by them, but he couldn’t help himself. He mentally cursed himself for becoming slightly turned on at the thought of staying up all night with Chanyeol, doing God knows what. What exactly did Chanyeol mean by what he said, anyway? 

He looked over at Chanyeol, whose face was just as flushed as his probably was. He watched as Chanyeol laid down, getting under the covers and shutting the light off, Baekhyun at a loss of words of what to say. 

He could tell that Chanyeol was laying there as still as he was, careful not to make any sudden movements and just listening to the sound of each other softly breathing. 

Finally, Baekhyun spoke up, trying his best to sound composed and like what just happened didn’t affect him one bit. 

‘If you leave me hanging like that one more time, Chanyeol, you’ll regret it.’

Chanyeol just huffed out a laugh, rolling over to face the wall on the farther side of his bed. Baekhyun could tell he was smiling as he spoke. 

‘Don’t worry, I won’t do it again. Let’s sleep before we both get any ideas.’ 

Baekhyun wanted more than anything to speak out ‘too late’ to Chanyeol, but he figured it was no use. He laid there, thinking about the man in the bed opposite him and how warm he must be under the covers, how long his legs were under the sheets and how strong his arms looked when they gripped the bedpost before. 

It was a terrible joke, how much this mental picture affected Baekhyun and made him want to do things that he knew he would regret in the morning. 

He let logic get the better of him, though, and decided to try and sleep off the hint of lust that dared to consume him. 

Baekhyun closed his eyes and slept to the sound of Chanyeol’s shallow breathing, thinking of how nice it’d be to be in the same bed as him, to share the same pillow and to just give in for once. 

\---

Baekhyun expected the next day to be more awkward than anything, his experiences with other crushes showing him just how flustered he could be once his own feelings were out. 

But Chanyeol surprised him, waking up the next day the same as he always did, giving Baekhyun the same smiles as he always did, and telling a million stories about his childhood once they were on the road, just like always. It wasn’t much farther until they reached Chanyeol’s hometown, a quiet, out-of-the-way place that Chanyeol described as his own personal heaven. Baekhyun adored the way Chanyeol described his hometown, his family and his friends; he wished he shared the same passion. 

Chanyeol definitely seemed to be in a much better mood today; the purple was gone out of his hair, the black returning and making Baekhyun swoon. Again, he went for a plain black shirt and shorts, enjoying the warmer weather the further they traveled south. 

Baekhyun himself was wearing a dark floral blouse with black skinny jeans; it was the ‘fanciest’ shirt that he had had, and he thought it showed off his figure well. The excitement of meeting Chanyeol’s mother and his childhood friends was getting to him, he wanted to make a good first impression after all. 

The sun was high in the sky by the time Baekhyun and Chanyeol arrived in the town, after hours of Chanyeol talking Baekhyun’s ear off and the latter laughing along to his stories. Things were so simple and felt so right like this: Baekhyun and Chanyeol traveling together, poking fun at one another and laughing at the smallest of things. He felt like he was in some sort of summer rom-com, about to embark on the trip of his life with the crush of his teenage years. 

The more he thought about it, the more Baekhyun grew frustrated at last night’s events. Not only did he make Chanyeol unnecessarily worry (which Baekhyun swore he’d never do again), he also damned their noisy room neighbours for interrupting the moment he and Chanyeol shared. 

Memories of the night before just wouldn’t leave him alone. He grew antsy in his seat when he thought how easy it’d be for Chanyeol to pull over onto the side of the road, for Baekhyun to lean over and kiss Chanyeol the way he’s been dying to since last night. Baekhyun hadn’t exactly thought of being physically intimate with Chanyeol before, his crush being more of a dream more than anything, but now that there was a realistic prospect of the feelings being returned, Baekhyun couldn’t help himself.

Chanyeol was sort of (exactly like) everything Baekhyun’s ever dreamed of. 

Baekhyun was pulled out his deep and not so pure thoughts by the sound of Chanyeol’s insistent screams of excitement once his mother’s home came into view, with shouts of ‘We’re here! We’re here!’ filling the vehicle and Chanyeol excitedly pointing at the huge front windows of the house that he’d told Baekhyun about previously. 

After they pulled into the driveway, everything clicked into place for Baekhyun; of course Chanyeol would grow up in a place like this. Not only was it so peaceful, almost warping whatever sour mood you were in before and calming your entire being, it was also extremely tied in with nature. Little sprouts of plants littered the sidewalk in front of the house, vines trailing from the ground up to the roof of the home, wrapping around and disappearing into trees at the side. There was some landscaping, too; Baekhyun could see little potted plants scattered what seemed to be at random, tiny makeshift houses the size of a hand settled in the grass for what Chanyeol explained to be ‘for the tiny fairies’. 

_They really do exist, Baekhyun!_ Chanyeol had told him. 

Chanyeol himself was beaming ear to ear, the widest grin on his face at the prospect of being home. A faint glow could be seen coming from inside the house; Chanyeol had told Baekhyun that his mother was home and probably busy preparing everything, for this weekend was a sort of reunion for himself as well as others that were family friends’ to the Park’s. Baekhyun thought it was splendid that Chanyeol thought of bringing him to an event like this, where everyone could be together. 

Baekhyun’s family never once did anything like this. 

‘Chanyeol!’ a warm voice came from the front of the house, audible to where Baekhyun and Chanyeol were getting their bags out of the vehicle. It wasn’t nearly as deep as Chanyeol’s, but it carried the same warmth. Baekhyun knew who it was in an instant. 

‘Mom!’ Chanyeol said, first smiling at Baekhyun and then looking behind him. ‘Your boy is finally home, I told you I could make the trip all by myself!’ 

He could hear the sound of Chanyeol’s mom laughing in the background; Baekhyun laughed, too. The almost instantaneous boyish mood Chanyeol was put in was adorable. 

‘But you’re not alone, silly,’ Chanyeol’s mom said; Baekhyun finally grabbed his suitcase from the vehicle and turned around to face her. What he was met with was a tiny woman with the kindest eyes, and of course, the same charming smile he’d known from Chanyeol (as well as the same ears, but Baekhyun resisted the urge to spend too long staring at them). 

Chanyeol had always described his mom as his entire world, his hero. One look at the person in question and Baekhyun could tell what he meant. 

‘Are you forgetting the person beside you?’ She said, smiling at Baekhyun and coming forward.. ‘You must be Baekhyun, correct? Chanyeol’s told me a _lot_ about you, gracious. I’m happy you could come to our little corner of the world.’ 

‘Yes, that’s me! I’m happy too, this place is beautiful,’ Baekhyun said, giving his best smile and standing up tall. ‘You have a beautiful property, Mrs. Park. Thank you for having me!’ 

‘No need to thank me, Baekhyun, thank Chanyeol here for the idea! I was waiting for the day he’d bring you home,’ she grinned, pulling Baekhyun in for a hug that he didn’t anticipate but loved wholeheartedly. Chanyeol’s mom was just as welcoming as Chanyeol was, to no surprise. 

She eyed Baekhyun and Chanyeol after pulling away from the hug; Baekhyun knew that look all too well. Did she think that they were a couple? 

What exactly _did_ Chanyeol tell him mom about him? 

‘Well, let’s take you inside then. Chanyeol, while I’m giving Baekhyun the tour I need you to haul some things from the backyard inside the house. They’re too heavy for me,’ Mrs. Park said, scoffing at the pout that instantly formed on her son’s face. ‘Oh, suck it up, you big baby! You’re the one who has all the muscle around here.’ 

Baekhyun laughed; she was right, after all. ‘Yeah Chanyeol, join us inside once you’re done, okay? You’re a big strong man, you can do it.’

Him and Mrs. Park linked arms, laughing as they walked down the path to the front door. Baekhyun looked back for a moment at Chanyeol, who was still in the same place as before, sticking his tongue out at Baekhyun. 

Baekhyun has never smiled harder. 

\--- 

The Park home wasn’t as small as Baekhyun expected; when Chanyeol described it as cozy, Baekhyun automatically assumed it was on the smaller side. However, it was anything but: it was a two story house, with huge, wide windows at the front of every room and an enormous living room and kitchen area to entertain people. Mrs. Park walked Baekhyun around the hallways, stopping to show Baekhyun Chanyeol’s old music room, the study, the guest rooms, and, last but not least, Chanyeol’s childhood bedroom. 

Baekhyun inwardly cried at the cuteness of it all; Chanyeol had little foxes on his bed sheets, and tiny stuffed animals all over his room. He had so many questions for his mother on how he was as a child. 

‘You know, Baekhyun, we have a lot of people coming over this weekend!,’ his mother said, after seating her and Baekhyun in the kitchen for a cup of tea. ‘I’m so excited for you to meet all of them. Chanyeol’s uncles and aunts, cousins and friends will be here. It’s not often that we get to all be together.’ 

‘Yeah, I understand. My family never does anything close to this; I barely see my extended family at all. Chanyeol’s so lucky,’ Baekhyun said, keeping an eye on Chanyeol who kept moving in between the backyard and the living room, carrying in boxes after boxes filled with God knows what. 

Chanyeol’s arm and back muscles looked good under his shirt. Baekhyun decided to take a mental note of it to think about later. 

‘I’m sorry to hear that, Baekhyun,’ Mrs. Park said, her hand over Baekhyun’s as an act of sympathy, ‘Honestly, ever since Chanyeol’s moved to work at the foundation we don’t see him nearly as much as we’d like to. Makes me realize my big baby’s all grown up.’

Baekhyun smiled. Chanyeol’s mom was just as sensitive as her son. 

‘You raised an amazing man, Mrs. Park,’ Baekhyun said. ‘He’s been nothing but the best to me ever since I met him. Honestly, without him I know my stay here would’ve been entirely different, and not in a good way. I owe him everything.’ 

‘That makes me so happy! God, to think of my boy so happily with someone like you, my heart couldn’t be happier,’ she said, standing up to move their dishes off the table. ‘You guys make such a cute couple. _So_ cute.’

Baekhyun couldn’t stop the look of confusion from hitting his face; surely Chanyeol’s mother must have been confused. 

‘Oh, Mrs. Park, we’re not-’

‘I’m finally finished!’ Chanyeol yelled from the living room, walking in and running his hands through his hair. 

He was _sweating_ . Baekhyun gulped.

‘What did you have in those boxes, mom? They were so heavy, I almost couldn’t make it!’ Chanyeol fake gasped, mocking a tone of pure exhaustion. 

‘Oh, nothing, just some things for the reunion this weekend. Party supplies, extra chairs, makeshift tables and whatnot.’ 

‘Please don’t tell me you’re expecting me to set that all up!’ Chanyeol pouted, to which his mother just nodded her head and smiled at her huge baby of a son. 

‘God, I should have known that with me coming here you’d just put me to work,’ Chanyeol said, obviously not mad about the decision but dedicated to helping his mom out under his demeanor. Baekhyun loved how hardworking Chanyeol was. 

‘Don’t worry, Chanyeol, I can help you!’ Baekhyun said, piping up from his spot on the table and instantly making Chanyeol smile the moment he heard his voice. ‘You don’t have to do it alone.’ 

‘It’s okay, Baekhyun, I’m sure I can do it! I wouldn’t mind having you outside with me tomorrow though, while I’m building everything. You know, for moral support.’ He winked, sending Baekhyun blushing and his mother giving them even _more_ assumptive stares. 

‘I guess I should have a shower now, I’m kind of a sweaty mess. Baekhyun are you okay hanging out down here?’

‘Don’t worry, I’ll keep him company!’ Mrs. Park said, walking around to where Baekhyun was and setting a hand on his shoulder. ‘We can set up the room for you guys to sleep in while you’re showering. I bought you new bedding, Chanyeol. Those fox ones are way too old!’ 

‘Wait,’ Chanyeol said, obviously confused. 

_One room for the both of them?_

Baekhyun sat at the table waiting for the realization to hit him, already knowing what his mom meant. 

‘Mom, I’ll need two rooms for Baekhyun and I. He needs his own bed.’

‘What? But I thought… What kind of couple sleeps apart? I’m sure it’s nothing you both aren’t used to!’

The look on Chanyeol’s face was priceless, his eyes widening to complete circles as he stared at his mom in bewilderment. He moved his mouth to speak, quickly shutting it when it hit him. Chanyeol quickly grew flustered, putting his face in his palms as he groaned; Baekhyun tried not to laugh at the scene in front of him. 

This was going to be good. 

‘Mom, I… We… Baekhyun and I are _not_ a couple!’ Chanyeol said, obviously embarrassed and shooting Baekhyun an apologetic look. 

‘Oh my god, Mom.’ He whined, to which Baekhyun just laughed and looked between the mother and her son. Their dynamic was truly something to witness. 

‘Oh, my god! I’m so sorry, to both of you, especially to Baekhyun,’ she said, looking down at Baekhyun with worry. ‘It’s just that you two seem so close, and Chanyeol with the way you’ve described Baekhyun to me I could only conclude that-‘ 

‘ _Mom!_ ’ Chanyeol said, exasperated. 

Baekhyun decided it was time to step in and save Chanyeol from his own embarrassment. 

‘Mrs. Park, it’s okay. I understand your confusion,’ Baekhyun said, not really offended that Chanyeol’s mother thought of them as a couple. 

_If only,_ Baekhyun thought. 

‘You have nothing to apologize for.’

‘Oh, but I do. You see, I’ve kind of marked off the only other guest room for Kyungsoo and Jongin to use when they arrive here tomorrow.’

‘What!’ Chanyeol said, ‘Kyungsoo and Jongin are coming here?’ 

‘Yes,’ Chanyeol’s mom said, sighing in defeat. ‘It was supposed to be a surprise for you. They traveled all the way from the South, and they don’t really have anywhere else to stay, so I offered.’ 

Chanyeol’s look of surprise quickly turned into one of understanding. ‘Oh, well in that case… I’ll take the couch, then.’ 

Baekhyun was quick to act; he knew that there was realistically no reason as to why he and Chanyeol couldn’t share a bed, they were good enough friends to do so. Besides, Baekhyun couldn’t let this opportunity pass… 

‘Chanyeol, don’t be silly. Let’s just share,’ Baekhyun said, sounding shy in his request but willing to take this leap of faith. ‘I mean, that couch is too small for you to fit on. Your bed is big enough. I really don’t mind.’ 

He ended his little speech with a smile; he sounded convincing enough. 

Chanyeol’s eyes widened, thinking about Baekhyun’s proposition. He studied Baekhyun’s face, and then looked at his mom, who Baekhyun could only guess was nodding her head in approval. 

‘Okay. Alright,’ Chanyeol said, lips upturned in the tiniest of smiles. ‘In that case, though, I really need to shower. For your sake, Baekhyun.’

‘Okay.’ Baekhyun said softly, him and Chanyeol exchanging looks of both hesitation and excitement. 

‘I’ll just, um, do that right now then. I’ll meet you in the room.’ Chanyeol said, leaving for the bathroom after giving Baekhyun one last look of promise. 

Baekhyun looked on as Chanyeol excited the room, following his every move. Once he was out and they heard the click of the bathroom door, Chanyeol’s mom spoke up. 

‘Oh my god, Baekhyun, thank you for doing that.’ she said, relieved. ‘Chanyeol sure is playing the oblivious role pretty well.’

‘Um… I’m not sure if he really likes me in that way, Mrs. Park.’ Baekhyun said, slightly embarrassed. He’d never talked about his own guy crushes with his own mother before, so this was new. 

‘Nonsense! I can read my son like a book. There’s no doubt about it.’ she said, winking at Baekhyun and giving him a knowing look. ‘Now, let’s get you showered, too. You can use my own bathroom, the shower’s newly renovated and much nicer than it used to be. Just don’t tell Chanyeol that.’

Baekhyun laughed, thankful that Chanyeol’s mother was bolder than her son.

He guessed some time to himself wouldn’t hurt. 

—

The mop of red hair that was staring back at him in the mirror barely looked like it belonged to Baekhyun. It was growing redder, if that was even possible, with the previous burgundy being replaced slowly with a deeper, more vibrant tinge of red starting from his roots.

The lighting in the bathroom made this noticeable to Baekhyun; he never noticed how red it actually was before, magnifying in color near the roots instead of the ends. 

_How odd._

Baekhyun couldn’t really complain, though; the new reddish color looked surprisingly good on him. He figured it was because he stayed so long in this world; it had to have had its effects on him, right? 

His skin looked different, too. He was more tan than how he was on Earth, with how much time he spends outside now, in the garden with Jongdae or on walks with Chanyeol. This also made his body a little bit more trim than he was used to as well; he usually wasn’t one to admit it, but Baekhyun looked good. 

After he stripped, Baekhyun entered the shower, savouring in the warmth of the rain of water and letting his muscles relax from being hunched in a vehicle all day. The shower was spacious, the shower head above Baekhyun large and circular, hitting him in all the right places and putting just enough pressure. 

Before he could get to washing himself, though, he thought of something else: tonight with Chanyeol. 

Baekhyun still had no idea how he mustered up enough confidence to propose sleeping in the same bed as Chanyeol, he truly gave himself props for speaking his mind for once. But that still didn’t stop him from mentally cursing at himself for such a thing; how exactly is he supposed to share a bed with a man he has a painfully huge crush on and _act calm about it?_

He was nowhere near calm, not at all. This whole trip just showed him how unavoidable his feelings for Chanyeol were, his attraction moving from the hypothetical to the actual, their intimacy growing from emotional to physical. It was all so suffocating to Baekhyun just as much as it was the best thing he’d ever experienced; he just wished he could have Chanyeol for himself _now._ It was so hard to wait. 

Baekhyun felt greedy. Terribly greedy. Here he was, in Chanyeol’s home for a nice, family filled weekend and he couldn’t stop his thoughts from going _there,_ from thinking of the man who was just downstairs having a shower, too, and- 

_Oh._

It didn’t occur to him that he and Chanyeol were having showers at the same time, oddly enough. Baekhyun wondered if the water felt as nice to Chanyeol as it did to him, if Chanyeol’s muscles were tense like his, if he enjoyed the warmth and if his bathroom was as foggy as Baekhyun’s. 

A familiar warmth creeped up in his body, starting in the pit of his stomach and moving lower. Baekhyun couldn’t stop himself from thinking of Chanyeol under the water, nothing but hard and wet muscle, water dripping and back flexing. 

It was bad enough that Chanyeol had a voice as deep as the ocean, now Baekhyun had to deal with that _as well_ as the mental picture of Chanyeol gripping the headboard from their previous night, not to mention the sweat that collected on his body from moving all of those boxes before. 

Baekhyun felt helpless. He knew exactly what was happening to him.

_Okay, no, stop it Baekhyun,_ he thought, yet his hand reaching down to grip his hard on didn’t listen. 

He whimpered as he gripped himself, feeling the hot and wet skin against him underneath the running water. Baekhyun wanted desperately to stop, but it just felt so _good_ as he gave himself slow strokes up and down.

He usually didn’t set such a slow pace, but for some reason, he wanted to take things slow and easy; he felt so much tension pent up inside him for the past few days, and if he wasn’t slow, he knew this would all end too fast. And besides, since Baekhyun started this, there was no turning back. 

Baekhyun thought of Chanyeol, his hands, his voice, his chest. 

He’d never had a type, always going for anyone who was just simply nice to him. But Chanyeol was different, like he was showing Baekhyun what he was missing this whole time. 

Long, tan legs, a figure to die for, and the widest, most beautiful eyes. 

Baekhyun sped up his strokes, thinking of the contrast between the taller’s manly figure and his huge doe eyes; Chanyeol was just so _pretty._

He closed his hand into a fist, creating a tight pocket for him to push his cock slowly into, imagining they were Chanyeol’s lips. Baekhyun imagined how hoarse Chanyeol’s voice would get after he sucked him, pressing his thumb against his slit pretending it was Chanyeol’s tongue. 

‘Fuck.’ Baekhyun exhaled, thighs shaking from how good it felt; the warm water around him relaxed his body while at the same time winding him up. 

He felt himself getting close, exhaling rapidly at this point, his hand moving up and down in rapid succession. He just needed something _more._

Baekhyun moved one of his hands up to his face, putting two fingers in his mouth and sucking, imagining they were Chanyeol’s fingers. The grip he had on his cock tightened when the mental picture of him riding Chanyeol flooded his mind, Chanyeol’s fingers in his mouth while his other hand held Baekhyun’s thighs. 

Baekhyun pulsed, coming with a soft, deep groan, closing his eyes and picturing his cum landing on Chanyeol’s chest. 

He pulled his fingers from where they were in his mouth, feeling so elated he felt fuzzy. 

Baekhyun caught his breath and stood under the stream of water. He couldn’t decide what he should do next: mentally curse himself for thinking such lewd things about the man he was about to share a bed with, or do it again. 

\--- 

Baekhyun didn’t know how much time had passed since he left to go have a shower; he truly didn’t want to think about it. He was embarrassed; surely a guy spending more than 25 minutes in the shower meant that he was doing _more_ than washing his hair. 

‘Baekhyun! I was wondering where you went,’ Chanyeol said from where he was laying on the bed, quickly getting up once he noticed Baekhyun in the doorway. His hair was still slightly damp from his shower; Baekhyun was guessing that his was a lot shorter than the one he just took. Of course. 

‘I’ve changed the sheets and the pillowcases; I put an extra blanket on the bed in case you get cold in the night or anything,’ Chanyeol said, the dim lighting of the room making him look impossibly cute. His eyes were wide, obviously tired from the long day, but Chanyeol looked content and calm. He wore plaid pajama pants that were a little bit too short on him; Baekhyun thought it was cute.

‘Thanks, Chanyeol.’ Baekhyun smiled, skin still flushed from his shower and a slight blush forming on his cheeks. ‘So how do you want to do this? Left or right?’

‘Well, I usually stick to the left side of the bed always, so…’ 

Baekhyun laughed; of course he did. ‘That’s perfect then, I’m usually on the right!’ 

‘I hope it wasn’t too weird of me for doing that earlier. I just figured since we spend so much time together, I-’ 

‘Don’t worry about it Baekhyun, seriously. I’m more than happy you spoke up.’ Chanyeol moved to the bed, getting under the covers and settling himself in. His feet were so close to hanging off the end of the bed, reminding Baekhyun once again of just how _big_ Chanyeol was. 

Baekhyun stopped himself from thinking back to his thoughts from the shower. 

‘Me too, actually,’ Baekhyun said, putting his worn clothes in his suitcases then moving into the bed, too.

He wasn’t sure how close he should sleep to Chanyeol; did he prefer his own personal space or did he not really care? The only experience Baekhyun ever got with sleeping with someone else was when he used to sleep in the same bed as his brother, who would scold him if he came too close during the night. 

Baekhyun hesitated. ‘Uh… I’ll get in bed now, too.’ 

‘Please.’ was all that Chanyeol said, looking up at Baekhyun with a smile on his face. He was already so snuggled into bed, his hair splayed out across the white pillow underneath him. It made his ears look cute, sticking out from underneath. 

Baekhyun just huffed out a laugh and climbed into bed, trying not to pay attention to how everything was so warm already. He knew it’d be no time until he was fast asleep. 

‘Baekhyun?’ Chanyeol said, shutting off the light. 

Once it was off his voice grew so much softer. 

‘I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed today with you, this whole trip, really. I’ve just enjoyed you a lot.’ 

‘I’ve really enjoyed myself too, I mean your mom is great. It isn’t hard to get along with her.’ 

‘Not just her I mean… the day driving with you. Bringing you to the house. Seeing you sit in my kitchen and laugh along with my mom. I just meant that…’ 

Chanyeol sighed. ‘What I’m trying to say is that everything feels perfect with you. And I’m kind of trying to wrap my head around it.’ 

Baekhyun was speechless. Is Chanyeol saying what he thinks he’s saying?

‘Chanyeol, I… I feel the same way. You know I do,’ Baekhyun spoke softly, matching Chanyeol’s tone. He moved on his side instead of looking at the ceiling, facing him. 

‘But what are you trying to say?’

‘I’m just-’ Chanyeol stopped his sentence, thinking shortly on how to word everything properly. ‘I’m just worried, Baekhyun. I’m worried that I’ll take you on this trip and have the absolute time of my life with you, only for you to go back to Earth and forget it ever happened. I’m worried about you forgetting about me, about this moment right now.’ 

Baekhyun’s heart dropped; he knew exactly what Chanyeol meant. He remembered Junmyeon speaking to him about going back to Earth, about the possibility of him not remembering any of his memories of his time here. That meant that he wouldn’t remember Jongdae, his days at the foundation, his walks in the garden; it meant that he wouldn’t remember Chanyeol. 

Even though it terrified Baekhyun, he had to admit he’d been thinking about it, too. 

‘Chanyeol… I know what Junmyeon said. I remember what he told me. But he also told me there were exceptions to that rule, remember?’ 

Baekhyun slowly reached his hand out in the dark of the room, feeling for Chanyeol’s hand underneath the blankets. He found Chanyeol’s hand, gripping it softly and intertwining their fingers. He felt his heart beat in his chest.

‘I’ll be that exception. There’s no way that I could ever forget this moment, or this trip, or _you.’_

‘That’s just not possible, not for me. Someone like me doesn’t just forget about someone like you, Chanyeol.’

Baekhyun wished he could see Chanyeol’s face clearly in this moment; he could tell that the taller was smiling. He probably looked so cute.

Chanyeol’s thumb moved across Baekhyun’s hand, going back and forth and soothing the nerves Baekhyun had from saying something so bold. It’s like he knew it was a big deal for Baekhyun to say that, even though there were more feelings that Baekhyun could say. Those few words were enough. 

After a couple minutes of them laying together, Chanyeol spoke up, his voice almost to a whisper.

‘Everyone that meets you this weekend will love you, Baekhyun. It’s so easy to do so.’

The thumb that was tracing gentle lines on Baekhyun’s hand stopped, yet Chanyeol’s hand never left Baekhyun’s. Instead, Chanyeol tugged the smaller’s hand towards him, almost close to cradling it in his chest.

Before Baekhyun had the chance to say something, he could hear Chanyeol’s breath steady and his chest rise and fall as he fell asleep. Baekhyun figured that Chanyeol had been working up to saying that for a while now, relaxing instantly once he did so (which he could relate to entirely).

He laid there for a while, not wanting to fall asleep just yet but to think about what Chanyeol said, about remembering him and this tiny moment they shared together. 

Once he knew he was in a deeper sleep, Baekhyun took advantage of the tiny dip in Chanyeol’s bed, letting his body move closer to the man beside him. Their legs were touching, Chanyeol’s arms hitting Baekhyun’s as they held hands. Baekhyun found the courage to scoot a little closer and lay his head beside Chanyeol’s shoulder, giving in to the voice inside his head telling him to do so. 

As Baekhyun fell asleep beside Chanyeol, arms and legs wound in one another, he held on to the only certainty he knew of in that moment: 

He was in love.

— 

‘ _Oh._ ’ 

Baekhyun walked past the bathroom, hearing Chanyeol’s voice come from inside, apparently in a panic. He was still kind of groggy from just waking up, but this voice he knew too well to mix it up from anything. 

‘Oh, my god. Oh my _god_ !’ 

‘Chanyeol, is everything okay in there?’ Baekhyun said, hesitantly tapping on the locked door. If Chanyeol was having ‘bathroom issues’ he didn’t want to intrude, but he seriously sounded like he was panicking a bit. 

‘Are you out of toilet paper or something?’ Baekhyun laughed, his laughter being interrupted by a sudden swing of the door and a freshly-woken Chanyeol emerging, hands in his hair. 

‘Baekhyun. You need to look at this.’ 

At first Baekhyun was confused; what was Chanyeol talking about? His question was soon answered though as he looked at Chanyeol’s hair, specifically what was growing _out_ of Chanyeol’s hair. Starting from the top of Chanyeol’s head, and scattered randomly throughout his tresses were little tiny red things. 

At a closer look, Baekhyun soon realized what they were. 

They were tiny, red flowers. 

‘Chanyeol… you have a little garden on your head!’ 

The disbelief in Baekhyun’s voice was apparent, both of them moving into the bathroom and staring at Chanyeol’s hair in the mirror. 

‘Not funny, Baekhyun! This is serious!’ 

‘What, so you’re saying this has never happened before?’ Baekhyun said, grabbing his toothbrush from the night before and squirting some toothpaste on it. He might as well brush his teeth while he was in the bathroom.

‘No, never. God, I’m malfunctioning or something. What’s next, moss? Dirt coming out of my nose?’ 

Chanyeol was in more disbelief than Baekhyun was, constantly lifting back pieces of his hair and finding more tiny flowers wherever he looked. Baekhyun looked on in amusement, trying not to laugh at Chanyeol’s minor breakdown. He thought the flowers were cute; he and Chanyeol’s hair kinda matched now, with the red and all. 

‘God, do I have to water these or something?’ 

Baekhyun burst out laughing for the second time that morning at the sight of Chanyeol lifting up water from the bathroom sink and pouring it on his head, completely missing the tiny flowers and splashing his own face instead. 

‘Chanyeol!’ Baekhyun said, moving to get a towel and dabbing Chanyeol’s face. ‘Why don’t you go and ask your mom about this? I’m sure she’d know what’s happening to you.’ 

Chanyeol sighed, grabbing the towel and covering his face with it. He was absolutely dejected.

‘I guess you’re right. If I’m dying, I might as well hear it from my mom first.’ His eyes peeked out to look at Baekhyun, who had continued brushing his teeth. 

‘Chanyeol, you dramatic ass, just go and ask her!’ Baekhyun managed to speak out, not stopping the smile on his face.

Chanyeol made whiny noises, still feeling around his hair for the tiny flowers. Baekhyun swatted him away from the bathroom, mentally thanking the universe for making Chanyeol such a big baby. 

\--- 

The heavy afternoon sun shone down on them, making all of the heavy lifting and woodwork just that more difficult. Baekhyun was wearing his lightest t-shirt and shorts and he was still sweating, the water Mrs. Park set out for them doing little to cool him down. He felt unusually warm today, more warmer than normal; usually, he’d thank his body for it, but considering he and Chanyeol had a lot of preparation to complete outside today, he’d rather go without it. 

Chanyeol on the other hand was relishing in the heat; it gave him an excuse to wear a white muscle shirt as he worked, and Baekhyun couldn’t be happier (although he’d be happier if Chanyeol just listened to his suggestion of taking off the shirt entirely). 

The panicked mood that Chanyeol was in before had vanished; after he left the bathroom that morning and talked to his mother, he joined Baekhyun for breakfast with a drastically improved mood, his dimple not once leaving his face from smiling all morning. 

Baekhyun had asked Chanyeol what happened, feeling concerned for him considering how panicked he was. 

Chanyeol’s mom explained to Baekhyun that for an Elf, flowers were the simplest symbol of happiness; in Chanyeol’s growing of them, it meant that his spirit was truly happy. 

It wasn’t something to be scared of at all; in fact, Baekhyun noticed that Mrs. Park was exceptionally proud of her son in reaching this state, constantly complimenting the little accessories to Chanyeol’s head. Baekhyun couldn’t help but notice that Chanyeol looked proud of himself, too, no longer looking at his head in worry but in wonder, lifting up what little petals fell to the ground and inspecting them with curious eyes. 

Each flower that grew from Chanyeol’s head was a fiery red in color, with little specks of white near the center. Each one was about the size of a thumbnail; Baekhyun noticed that one grew near the front of Chanyeol’s ear, making it look like someone had tucked a flower behind his head. If anything, it made Chanyeol more breathtaking. 

They had started their work outside that day earlier than planned; Chanyeol wanted the flowers to get as much sunlight as they could (his mother had told him that they only lasted about 24 hours from their first growth, after that, they’d fall off naturally). 

It was early into the evening before they finished all of their work, building tables, decorating, and cutting wood for the fire they had planned to have tomorrow once everyone’s over. For a day’s work, Baekhyun thought he and Chanyeol did a pretty good job; the backyard was decorated with flowers and lanterns, the tables filled with colorful decorations and placemats for the food. Chanyeol’s mom had explained to them that about thirty people were coming over, so they cleared a spot in the middle of all the tables for a tiny dance area. Chanyeol was adamant of there being music at the event. 

The little reunion held in Chanyeol’s honor was to start at around seven in the evening; it was a casual event with families and children attending, but they were still allowed to dress up. 

To say that Baekhyun was excited was an understatement. 

He couldn’t wait to meet everyone tomorrow evening once they arrived, hearing so many details about Chanyeol’s best friends from home, Kyungsoo and Jongin. He mentioned the two of them had a little boy together, and even though Baekhyun couldn’t meet him the next day because he was at home with a babysitter, his heart still swelled at the thought of it. 

‘Would you want to look at some baby photos with me, Baekhyun?’ Chanyeol said, clearing his plate from the dinner they had just shared. Both he and Chanyeol were relaxing before the big day tomorrow; people were expected to start showing up at around six, and a quiet night in is what they agreed would be best beforehand. 

‘Oh, show him the ones from when you were a toddler, Chanyeol! Those ones are so cute,’ his mom said from the living room; she was making last minute alterations to the dress she was going to wear tomorrow (which she got Baekhyun’s help in picking out). 

Baekhyun’s eyebrow quirked up at the thought, staring at Chanyeol in question. 

‘Baby photos? Don’t tell me the six foot tall man in front of me used to be a tiny baby!’ 

‘Believe it or not, Baekhyun, I was quite the cutie.’ Chanyeol teased, taking Baekhyun’s plate when he was finished with his meal. ‘I still am.’ 

‘No lies there,’ Baekhyun agreed, walking up to Chanyeol. He took a leap of faith and took one of his big hands in his, looking up at him with a smile and squeezing. ‘I’d love to see them.’

Chanyeol looked down at their joined hands and blushed, the pink tinge reaching his ears. Baekhyun decided that that was one of his favorite looks on Chanyeol; flustered, with a hint of embarrassment. 

The taller of the two led them up the stairs to Chanyeol’s room at the end of the hallway, opening a closet in the corner of the room and reaching to the top shelf. He pulled out a tiny box that had stars painted on it, with the words ‘CHANYEOL’ on the top in silver ink. 

Baekhyun walked over to where Chanyeol was, turning on a lamp in the far corner of the room. Baekhyun eyed the box; it looked as old as he was and had obviously seen better years. He smiled, though; his own family would never keep a memento box such as this one. 

‘Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s open it!’ Baekhyun said, sitting on the floor and patting the spot next to him. ‘I have a feeling I’m gonna enjoy this a lot more than I should.’ 

Chanyeol laughed in that deep voice of his, somewhere between a chuckle and a breathy noise. He sat down next to Baekhyun, crossing his legs and opening the box. 

‘Calm down, Baekhyun, it’s only me in tiny form,’ Chanyeol said, picking up the first set of photos. ‘Oh no, this photo is from when my ears started to really grow in. They were too big for my head!’

Baekhyun grabbed the photo from him; in it Chanyeol must have been about two or three years old, dressed in the cutest green overalls he’d ever seen and a little ruffled t-shirt. The outfit in itself was distracting enough, but then Baekhyun saw the ears. 

He made an embarrassing squealing noise, but he didn’t care. 

‘Chanyeol! Your ears are sticking out miles away from your head,’ Baekhyun said, placing his hand right above his heart. ‘God, they’re even bigger than your huge little doe eyes.’ 

‘Yeah, they grew in pretty quickly. They always stuck out a lot more than anyone else's, even now.’ 

‘Well I think they’re adorable.’ Baekhyun said matter of factly, giving the photo back to Chanyeol. ‘Now show me some more!’ 

They continued on like that for what seemed like hours, just sitting on Chanyeol’s floor and going through hundreds of photos. Chanyeol’s mom took a lot of photos of him when he was younger, documenting everything from his first time on his play horse (his favorite toy) to his first time sitting on the toilet by himself. Chanyeol found that one pretty embarrassing, but Baekhyun just laughed and wished he had a phone so he could take a photo of it and cherish it forever. 

There were other photos in the box too, such as the first time Chanyeol drove his own car, and him in front of the garden on the day he turned eighteen. He had looked so mature, definitely a lot more grown up from the baby Chanyeol in the photos Baekhyun had seen previously, yet his huge, round eyes stayed the same. Baekhyun was so thankful for that. 

Chanyeol told him the story associated with each photo, of the time he started his own band when he was a teenager, when he made a mess of his mom’s kitchen trying to bake her a three tier birthday cake. Baekhyun had many moments with Chanyeol since he first met him, but he decided that this one right here was his favorite. There was nothing he enjoyed more than hearing Chanyeol tell these little parts of his life, not in a way that made Baekhyun feel like he missed out but in a way that made him feel he could fit into those memories, too. 

It felt like it was just him and Chanyeol in that moment, up in his room and awake after everyone else in the world had gone to bed. Baekhyun’s butt was starting to get sore after sitting for so long, but he didn’t want to move anywhere else. Sitting on the floor with Chanyeol just seemed like the greatest thing at the time. 

‘You know, I wish we could look at _your_ own photos, Baek. I’d like to think that your ears were pretty huge when you were growing up too,’ Chanyeol said after they were done looking at everything, bringing his knees up and holding them. He slightly rocked back and forth as he looked at Baekhyun, resting his chin on his knees. 

‘I want to see baby Baekhyun, I bet he was so _cute.’_

Baekhyun laughed. ‘You’re right, my ears were huge. Maybe bigger than yours, only in width, though.’ 

‘I’m actually surprised, your childhood was a lot similar to mine. I mean, my parents didn’t take nearly as many photos as your mother did, but the same milestones are there.’

‘Well, of course,’ Chanyeol started, ‘Just because we’re from different worlds doesn’t mean that I’m in a whole other league than you. We’re like two sides of the same coin. You’re a lot like me, Baekhyun. Just a little more quiet.’ 

Baekhyun smiled; he agreed. Even though he and Chanyeol weren’t the same, it sure felt like they were. 

‘You know, Chanyeol, most of the time I forget that you’re not human. You look like you’d fit perfectly into my world back home.’ 

‘Maybe in the future, I could.’ Chanyeol grinned, leaning back on his hands and stretching out his legs. He was still wearing the shorts he had on from earlier; Baekhyun looked at the long expanse of limbs in front of him and gulped. 

‘I don’t ever want you to see me as someone who’s apart from you, Baekhyun. I’m just Chanyeol. That’s who I want you to see me as, not anyone else.’

‘I already do.’ Baekhyun said, moving closer to Chanyeol. ‘And I can’t see that as ever changing. Nothing could take away from who you are to me, and I mean that.’

Baekhyun paused. ‘Who do you see _me_ as?’

Chanyeol turned to face Baekhyun, his eyes shining in the dim light of the room. He looked at Baekhyun so truthfully; Baekhyun felt like he wanted to look away and blush, but he knew he wouldn’t. He couldn’t. 

‘Someone I’ve been waiting for for a really, really long time.’ 

Baekhyun’s eyes widened, swatting at Chanyeol’s arm for being so damn mushy and adorable. Even though Baekhyun couldn’t find the words, the knowing look he and Chanyeol exchanged said it all.

Maybe, just _maybe,_ they were meant to be.

\--- 

Baekhyun grabbed the makeup brush, applying a layer of dark red eyeshadow to his lid. Next he grabbed his eyeliner, lining his lower lids with a slim black line, being careful not to over do it. 

He looked back in the mirror and rubbed the eyeshadow in, smearing his makeup slightly, creating the look that he desired. Back home, Baekhyun only brought out his makeup for special occasions, and when he and Jongdae were talking about the reunion at Chanyeol’s home, they agreed that this met the cut. 

Baekhyun only told Chanyeol’s mom that he was planning to wear makeup, and Mrs. Park was so delighted that she drove him into town early the next morning so they could pick out some shades that Baekhyun thought would suit him. Of course, they decided on darker, red tones; Baekhyun’s hair had grown even more red since the last time he checked, intensifying greatly in the past few days. 

To top it off, Baekhyun settled on a red long-sleeved blouse underneath a grey blazer, tying off his midsection with a black belt. A silver chain hung from his neck, just reaching below his collarbones and adding a bit of sparkle to his darker outfit. 

As a last moment decision, Baekhyun grabbed his ring from his suitcase, slipping it on his ring finger. He couldn’t help but think that there was something missing from his ensemble, but once he put the ring on, everything felt perfect. Besides, he didn’t want to ask Chanyeol’s mom to borrow one of her rings, anyway (even though he figured they’d fit, with Baekhyun’s dainty hands). It was just for tonight anyway, Baekhyun thought. 

_Surely Chanyeol wouldn’t wear his identical ring, right?_ Baekhyun hadn’t seen him wear it since their trip began.

Baekhyun double checked his appearance in the mirror, turning around to see how he looked from the back. The whole outfit in total showed off his figure without being too revealing, and Baekhyun was starting to find a new appreciation for his styling choices.

He momentarily hoped in the back of his mind that Chanyeol would appreciate it, too. 

By the time he was finished getting ready (in Chanyeol’s mom’s bathroom, which she kindly lent him to get ready in peace), it was only a short matter of time until guests arrived. 

Baekhyun was impressed with all of the food Mrs. Park had made; the kitchen was filled with finger food, drinks and desserts that people could have as they mingled. He could hear the faint sound of music being played outside, he was guessing Chanyeol was setting up the sound system he was showing him before. 

‘Chanyeol! Where are you?’ Baekhyun yelled as he went into the backyard. He had no idea where Chanyeol was; he hadn’t seen him since he had started getting ready, which was about two hours ago. 

‘I’m over here, Baek!’ A voice came from behind a shrub. Baekhyun looked to see Chanyeol pop his head out from behind it, springing up once he saw him approaching. 

‘The speakers over there connect to the outdoor generator right here, I figured it’d be better to hide it behind this so it’s not too much of an eyesore,’ Chanyeol said, laughing once he realized he was covered in leaves. ‘I guess I should go inside and get ready quickly, hey? I’m kind of a mess.’ 

‘Yes, you definitely should!’ Baekhyun stayed in place as Chanyeol walked over to him, suddenly becoming nervous about his appearance. Chanyeol's seen him dressed up when he went to the club with Jongdae before, but never in _makeup._

Chanyeol came closer, closing the gap between the two and looking physically out of breath from wrangling around with the sound system for the past half hour. When he got a good look at Baekhyun, though, he looked out of breath for a whole different reason. 

‘Baekhyun, you-’ Chanyeol started, first looking Baekhyun up and down (very obviously, Baekhyun might add), focusing on his exposed collarbone and then his waist, then finally on his eyes. He looked surprised, and _extremely_ flustered. 

Baekhyun almost felt bad for him. Almost. 

‘I wanted to dress up for tonight. You know, to meet your friends and everything. Your mom helped me with the makeup,’ Baekhyun said, playing shy. 

In reality he wasn’t feeling shy at all, he knew he looked good. Chanyeol’s reaction gave him the confidence to play coy, and he was loving it. 

‘I-I can see that...’ Chanyeol said, still doing a double take at Baekhyun’s appearance. He quickly realized how obvious he was being. 

‘Baekhyun, um, you look really.... Beautiful.’ He settled on, opening his mouth and then closing it suddenly. ‘I… I really love the red. It suits you.’ 

Baekhyun smiled; _this_ was the reaction he was hoping for. 

‘Thanks, Chanyeol. Now go and get ready so I’m not out here by myself for too long!’ 

Chanyeol had a puzzled look on his face. 

‘The party, remember? I think guests will be here soon…’ 

‘Oh, right! I’ll be right back, Baekhyun, just… stay here. I’ll be back soon,’ Chanyeol said in a hurry, giving Baekhyun an awkward smile before leaving. All Baekhyun could do was laugh, mentally thanking himself for going so bold with his makeup. 

This was about to be an interesting night. 

\--- 

The event had been going on for about half an hour, with Baekhyun being introduced to countless people by Mrs. Park, who told everyone he was ‘Chanyeol’s special guest’ (which resulted in a lot of _Oh?_ ’s and quizzical looks at Baekhyun, to his own amusement). 

Family friends and guests arrived one after another bringing more desserts and drinks, setting them down on the tables placed in the backyard where everyone gathered and mingled. Fairy lights were hung in the trees, as well as lanterns covering the perimeter of the backyard to give them some lighting as the sun set and descended into the night sky. It was a warm spring night, the temperature outside not being too hot nor too chilly. 

It was a perfect night for a tiny backyard party, Baekhyun thought. Before the event started, he was curious as to how people here held parties; were the same as back on Earth? 

He soon found out that yes, it was exactly the same, if anything it was more fun. Baekhyun didn’t feel like an outsider like he usually did at parties; here, he felt wanted and welcomed. He figured part of that was because he was Chanyeol’s ‘special guest’, but he didn’t give it too much thought. 

There was music playing too, with couples and little kids meeting in the middle of the backyard to dance with one another. The sound of people laughing and telling stories to one another filled the night, with guests of all ages; Baekhyun could make out which people were related to the Parks (due to the ears, of course). Compared to the club that Jongdae took him too, the people here didn’t look half as intimidating or unapproachable; Baekhyun even found himself walking up and introducing himself to a few people he didn’t know, trying to network on his own. 

After a while though, Baekhyun started to get worried. It had been about 45 minutes since guests arrived, and Chanyeol still hadn’t shown himself. Of course Baekhyun didn’t need Chanyeol there to have a good time, but he felt like a part of his heart was missing. The taller man’s absence beside him left a huge hole in Baekhyun’s night; he could just imagine the cheesy jokes Chanyeol would make as he introduced him to people here. 

He wanted to make memories he’d remember for the rest of his life with Chanyeol tonight. That was the plan, and Baekhyun was determined to see it through. 

He just needed to find Chanyeol first. 

Baekhyun was brought out of his thoughts by a deep voice come from behind him, and a hesitant hand tap his shoulder. 

‘Excuse me, but you must be Baekhyun, right?’

Baekhyun turned around, eyeing the two men in front of them. Their height difference was adorable, the huge smiles on their faces even more cute. Baekhyun had a feeling who these two were. 

‘Oh, it’s definitely you. I told you it must be him, Soo!’ the taller one said, extending his hand out to Baekhyun. 

‘We’re sorry to interrupt, we just couldn’t stay away from the moment we spotted you. Let me introduce us; my name is Jongin and this man beside me is my partner Kyungsoo, we’re friends of Chanyeol’s!’

Baekhyun gave them a warm smile; his guess was right on. 

‘Hi there!’ he said, shaking both of their hands. ‘I kind of knew it was you. Chanyeol mentioned that you guys would probably seek me out.’ 

  
  


‘We’re so predictable,’ the shorter one, Kyungsoo said. ‘In my defense it was more of Jongin’s plan than mine, I’m just here as a bystander.’ 

‘Yeah, right!’ Jongin said, nudging his partner and sticking his tongue out at him. 

Okay, they were kind of totally adorable. 

‘Well I’m glad you guys found me, I needed someone to talk to!’ Baekhyun laughed. ‘How did you know it was me, though?’ 

They both looked at each other, then back to Baekhyun. ‘By the ring, of course! Once we got closer it was kind of obvious.’ 

‘That’s such a cute idea by the way, having matching engagement rings. Chanyeol’s been wearing that thing around his finger for his whole life, who knew he’d find an identical one!’ 

‘Oh, no, we’re not engaged-’ Baekhyun started, almost bursting out laughing at the immediate wide eyes from the both of them. ‘I, um, was given this ring by my grandmother back home. It just happened to match Chanyeol’s, so…’ 

‘ _Oh.’_ they said, looking even more confused. Suddenly an idea popped up in Jongin’s head, eyeing his partner with a knowing look and then looking back to Baekhyun. 

‘Actually, that makes a _lot_ of sense,’ Jongin started, considering the information. ‘Well, it’s nothing you won’t find out in the meantime.’ 

Baekhyun just stood there laughing awkwardly; he had no idea what they were referring to, and settling on an awkward laugh was his best option. Where was Chanyeol when you needed him? 

‘Yeah, I hope so too, I guess. Anyway, Chanyeol mentioned you two had a boy together? He showed me some photos! Your baby is adorable, I can’t wait to have one of my own one day.’ 

‘God, yeah. Our little pride and joy, although he’s a pain in the butt sometimes due to his teleportation abilities,’ Kyungsoo said, wrapping one arm around Jongin’s waist. ‘Which he may or may not have inherited from Jongin, here.’

Baekhyun noticed the tiny gesture; he wished Chanyeol would do that to him. 

‘You’re serious? Teleportation? I didn’t know that was possible!’ Baekhyun said, ‘I hope he inherited something as cool as that from you, Kyungsoo.’ 

‘Nothing from me so far, as we can see. But you never know, his ears might grow out like mine did.’

Baekhyun took a second to look at Kyungsoo’s ears, noticing the distinctive pointed end that Chanyeol mentioned earlier. He remembered him briefly telling Baekhyun that Kyungsoo was a Light Elf just like him, but he didn’t know that much about Jongin. 

‘Too bad we couldn’t bring him with us! I’m sure he’d love to meet you, he’d love your red hair.’ 

‘You should have seen Chanyeol’s hair a couple days ago, there were tiny red flowers growing from it! It was the first time that’s ever happened to him,’ Baekhyun blushed, ‘Your baby would have _loved_ that.’ 

‘What! You’re joking, right?’ Jongin said, excitement filling his voice. He suddenly had a lot more energy compared than before. ‘You what that means, don’t you?’ 

‘Well, Chanyeol’s mom told me that it just meant that Chanyeol’s found true happiness, something like that-’ 

Right on cue, Baekhyun heard a deep voice yell from a few feet away, approaching quickly. 

‘I heard my name!’ Chanyeol half-yelled half-questioned, ears pricking up and eyes widening in interest once he spotted the little group of three. 

Baekhyun rolled his eyes and smiled at Kyungsoo and Jongin, smitten. ‘Speaking of Chanyeol…’ 

‘Chanyeol, where were you? I was waiting...’ He turned to Chanyeol as he walked up to the small group, voice catching in his throat when he finally got a good look at him. 

Chanyeol was dressed head to toe in black, as he normally did, yet Baekhyun had never seen him look more handsome. His normal mushroom-head hair was parted in the middle, a bit wavier than usual and Baekhyun expected that he curled his bangs a bit. 

He was dressed more formally than he anticipated, wearing black jeans and a black suit jacket, paired with a black paisley dress shirt underneath. A couple of the buttons were loose at the top, exposing some of Chanyeol’s chest, and the black tie that Chanyeol was wearing was loose as well, hanging around his neck. 

To Baekhyun’s surprise, he was wearing the ring that was identical to his; Baekhyun could make out that ring instantly. He briefly thought about the assumption that Jongin and Kyungsoo made about their supposed ‘engagement’; would other people think the same thing?

What really made Baekhyun’s heart race, though, was the glittery pink eyeshadow on Chanyeol’s eyelids; it wasn’t so much as to be overpowering, but it was just enough to make his eyes sparkle and even that much more prettier. 

It was the perfect contrast to his entire look; Baekhyun had never considered Chanyeol to be the one to wear makeup, but this was a happy surprise. His huge eyes were made to be shown off like this. 

‘Oh, I was just getting ready and everything. You know, with the hair and the, um… makeup.’ Chanyeol said, meeting Baekhyun’s eyes. Chanyeol was looking at him so earnestly, looking for praise. 

Baekhyun wouldn’t let this chance to compliment Chanyeol pass that easily. 

‘You look so pretty, Chanyeol.’ Baekhyun said, smiling up at the taller of the two and letting his eyes wander up and down him, just like Chanyeol did before. As long as they were being obvious, it didn’t hurt to take in a little more time to stare. 

‘And handsome. Now I know why you kept me waiting.’ Baekhyun winked, seeing the blush creep up on Chanyeol’s face. 

‘Thank you, Baek,’ Chanyeol was obviously flustered, focusing the conversation on anything other than him and how _pretty_ he looked. ‘I see you’ve met Kyungsoo and Jongin? You guys promised me you wouldn’t go searching him out!’ 

‘We couldn’t resist! We tried waiting for you, but your slow ass took so long getting ready we ditched our promise,’ Jongin said. The way him and Chanyeol regarded one another was close to a brother-type bond, which Baekhyun appreciated. It was similar to what he had with Sehun. ‘You’re lucky Baekhyun is a delight and could hold a conversation. I hardly noticed your absence.’ 

‘Be quiet, Jongin,’ Kyungsoo said, leaning in to hug Chanyeol. Kyungsoo was noticeably shorter than Chanyeol was, but that didn’t stop Chanyeol from crouching down and hugging him as tight as he could. ‘Chanyeol, it’s been so long. It’s great to see you, you look happy.’ 

‘It’s because I am.’ The taller smiled, leaning in closer to Baekhyun. ‘You can thank Baekhyun for that, he’s been keeping me company!’ 

‘So we’ve figured!’ Jongin winked at Baekhyun, earning a hit on the side from Chanyeol and a ‘stop that!’ from Kyungsoo. 

Baekhyun laughed at their antics; it was obvious they had known each other since forever. He didn’t mind the subtle jabs at him and Chanyeol’s relationship, it was kind of great seeing Chanyeol get flustered the more they hinted at it. 

It made Baekhyun think about how different this night would be if he were actually here together with Chanyeol: would he show him off to his friends? Would Chanyeol hold him close and introduce him as his boyfriend or just someone he’s close with? 

Some of Baekhyun’s questions were soon answered as they were talking and laughing along with Jongin and Kyungsoo. Baekhyun didn’t miss the way Chanyeol laughed harder at Baekhyun’s own jokes, how he moved closer and closer each time he could. The way he touched his side when telling Jongin about the first few days after they met, fleeting touches gracing Baekhyun’s side and making him shiver. 

And Baekhyun certainly didn’t miss the way that one of Chanyeol’s fingers interlocked with his as he was telling something to Kyungsoo, totally lost in his own conversation. 

Baekhyun looked down at their intertwined fingers, noting how warm Chanyeol’s hand was as he held his. Their matching rings were side by side, looking as if they belonged together. He wondered if Chanyeol even noticed that he was reaching out to hold his hand or if he was playing it off as if he didn’t mean to; the more Baekhyun thought about it, the more he didn’t care. 

There was a tiny part of him that was worried if people would assume he and Chanyeol were an item, holding hands and being joined at the hip for the duration of the party. 

However, there was also a bigger part inside Baekhyun that reveled in it, savoured it, loved it. 

This was the part that he listened to. 

\---

If Baekhyun thought that his night was going well before, he was certainly surprised at how perfect his night was going after he met Kyungsoo and Jongin, never once leaving their side the rest of the night. 

He knew they were Chanyeol’s friends, but Baekhyun felt close to them, too. He attributed this to their extremely welcoming and kind nature; they were funny, sarcastic, and talked to Baekhyun like they had known him his whole life, just as how Chanyeol made him feel before. 

Baekhyun could quickly understand why they were all such good friends. 

He was thankful that Chanyeol thought to bring him to this little reunion; Baekhyun couldn’t remember the last time he had this much fun, feeling so at ease despite being surrounded by people he just met. Everyone was eager to talk the night away, mingling with one another and sharing drinks together. It was a million times more fun than Baekhyun’s experience at the club, and he hadn’t even drank any alcohol (and also Chanyeol was there). 

‘Just say that you’re embarrassed of my dancing, Jongin, say it!’ Kyungsoo whined, on his third drink of the night, demanding that Jongin take him to the little dance circle that was set up. Not a lot of people were dancing at this time, the current song being significantly faster tempo than the rest before, but Kyungsoo didn’t care. He said the beat made him feel ‘alive’ (to which Baekhyun and Chanyeol laughed out loud at). 

‘You know I could never be embarrassed of you, baby…’ Jongin started, defending himself. ‘The song’s just ending now, and there’s not even a lot of people dancing!’ 

Jongin was right; the previous upbeat tune was replaced with a slower one, the sound of a woman’s light voice drifting to the air in a ballad-esque type song. The woman was singing in a language that Baekhyun had never heard before, nevertheless, he thought it sounded pretty. 

Kyungsoo whined even more, sighing in defeat as he rested his head on his partner’s chest. ‘But I wanted to dance.’ 

‘If you and Jongin are worried about being alone out there, me and Baekhyun could dance with you guys!’ 

Kyungsoo’s head perked up, looking at Chanyeol. 

Jongin’s eyes went wide, looking at Baekhyun. 

Chanyeol leaned down, speaking lowly in Baekhyun’s ear. ‘How does that sound, Baekhyun?’

Baekhyun wasn’t sure if it was because of how close Chanyeol suddenly felt beside him, how warm his hand was as it held his lower back, or how deep his voice was in Baekhyun’s ear. All he knew was if it meant being closer to Chanyeol, he was in. 

‘Sure, why not?’ Baekhyun said incredulously, more to himself than anyone else. 

‘Excellent!’ Kyungsoo said, taking Jongin’s arm and pulling him to where the rest of the people were dancing. ‘Come on, we don’t want to miss the song!’ 

Baekhyun felt Chanyeol tighten his hold on his back, leading him forward. ‘Come on, Baekhyun, I don’t want to miss the song either…’ 

Chanyeol led him to the middle of the backyard, amongst a tiny group of couples that were starting to sway together to the slower song that came on. Chanyeol positioned Baekhyun in front of him, one hand wrapping around his waist and another grabbing his hand, tugging his arm up until they were holding it to the side of them. 

It was times like this where Baekhyun realized the extent of their height difference; with the way that Chanyeol was holding him, Baekhyun suddenly realized how _big_ Chanyeol was. Chanyeol’s grip both on his waist and on his hand never wavered as they started swaying along to the slow tempo of the song. 

‘How is this?’ Chanyeol leaned down to speak in his ear, rubbing his hand slowly up and down the side of Baekhyun’s waist, tinkering with his belt. ‘I didn’t get to tell you before, but I love your outfit, Baekhyun.’ 

‘It feels nice, Chanyeol.’ Baekhyun wasn’t sure if he was talking about their dancing, or the grip he had around his torso. 

‘Mmm…’ Chanyeol hummed, head downturned and mouth close to Baekhyun’s ear as he led their dance. It was slow and not what Baekhyun was used to when guys asked him to dance, but he found he preferred this much more. 

It was slow. Sensual. 

It was intimate. 

The night sky made it so that Baekhyun could see the stars shine above them, twinkling and bright as they surrounded the moon. Baekhyun sighed, letting his head rest on Chanyeol’s shoulder and for the taller to continue leading their dance. 

‘Have you been enjoying your night?’ Chanyeol said, voice barely above a whisper and deeper than Baekhyun anticipated. His voice was blanketed in warmth, and something else Baekhyun couldn’t quite put his tongue on. 

‘Mm-hmm,’ Baekhyun said, ‘It’s hard to believe it’s almost over.’ 

‘I know. I could stay like this with you all night, if I could.’ Chanyeol said, his grip on Baekhyun tightening but not so much as to be uncomfortable. Baekhyun felt something deep within him stir as he heard Chanyeol’s words, his heart rate picking up. 

‘I swear, I’d never get tired of holding you like this.’ 

‘Then don’t stop.’ Baekhyun sighed, burying his face in Chanyeol’s neck. ‘I just… tonight has been perfect. Thank you.’ 

Chanyeol pulled away to look at Baekhyun’s face, the light from the lanterns around them illuminating his eyes and making them sparkle. Baekhyun looked back at him with awe. 

‘You have nothing to thank me for. It’s all been you.’ Their steps came to a halt as they stood together, not so much dancing anymore but just holding one another. Chanyeol traced light circles on Baekhyun’s back, grounding him. ‘I… I was nervous about tonight. About you meeting everyone, about the party. The moment I saw you though, that all went away. It’s you who I have to thank.’

Chanyeol hugged Baekhyun tighter, pulling him in so their chests were flush together. He brought a hand up, holding Baekhyun’s chin with two of his own fingers, thumb lightly touching around his jaw and lower lip.

‘My perfect Baekhyun. You could never disappoint me.’ 

Baekhyun felt his insides flip, preening at the compliment. One of his hands went up to hold Chanyeol’s arm in place, securing his grip on his chin. 

He didn’t know where he got the courage from, or the bravery to be so bold. 

He figured Chanyeol didn’t care though, mouth opening in awe at the sight of Baekhyun leaning down slightly to take his thumb into his mouth, sucking lightly on the tip and keeping his eye contact. 

Chanyeol sighed, eyes turning dark as he watched Baekhyun, a groan almost escaping his lips as Baekhyun started to suck softly, then harder. Baekhyun had almost taken Chanyeol’s entire thumb into his mouth; he felt like he was on fire. 

‘Chanyeol.’ Baekhyun said, popping Chanyeol’s thumb out of his mouth. A string of saliva connected the tip of his thumb to Baekhyun’s lips; the taller couldn't take his eyes off of it. 

‘Take me inside, please.’ 

Chanyeol nodded, holding Baekhyun’s hand and leading him towards the house. Baekhyun spotted Jongin and Kyungsoo still dancing, waving to them when he caught their attention. They gave Baekhyun a knowing look, Jongin throwing a thumbs up sign and Kyungsoo waving as they excited the backyard.

Baekhyun knew that they had probably seen what was happening between him and Chanyeol (in reality, more people probably did), but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. 

Not when Chanyeol was holding onto his hand for dear life and speed walking towards the house, ignoring everything in their way. 

As Chanyeol was opening the door though, he was greeted by Mrs. Park, carrying a tray of cups filled with juice, spilling all over the floor and onto Chanyeol’s jacket and dress shirt.

‘Chanyeol! I didn’t see you coming!’ the smaller woman shrieked, obviously startled at her son’s sudden entrance. ‘I’m so sorry, let me get you cleaned up…’ 

She looked at Chanyeol and then at Baekhyun behind him, eyes traveling down to glance at their connected hands. She did a double take, eyeing Chanyeol over again. 

‘Were you two headed somewh-‘

‘Mom, it’s okay, I can clean it up!’ Chanyeol interrupted, voice rough and filled with urgency. Baekhyun smiled to himself, face growing red.

They had been caught. 

‘Are you sure? I could just get you a new set of clothes quickly…’

‘I’m sure, mom, thank you though.’ Chanyeol moved past his mother, still holding onto Baekhyun and leading him further inside. ‘Please enjoy the rest of the party, Baekhyun will help me clean up!’

‘But the guests will leave soon! You haven’t said goodbye yet!’ 

Chanyeol kept walking with Baekhyun, looking at him momentarily then back to his mother. ‘I said goodbye before I came inside, mom. I have to change before this stains, though, I’ll see you later!’

Baekhyun gave Mrs. Park an apologetic look as he was dragged out of view, following Chanyeol up the stairs and into his room. Chanyeol’s hand still felt so _warm,_ never once lightening up. 

Once they got to Chanyeol’s room, Baekhyun closed the door behind them; quietly as to not gain any attention, even though he knew they were the only ones in the house.

The darkness in the room quickly disappeared as Chanyeol turned on the lamp closest to his bed. Baekhyun took one look at Chanyeol’s soaked shirt, the liquid wetting his entire lower half.

‘Chanyeol, you’re soaked!’ Baekhyun laughed as Chanyeol came closer to him again. ‘We need to get you cleaned up.’

‘Yeah, not my priority right now.’ Chanyeol said, pushing Baekhyun against the door and caging him in. Both of his hands were pressed against the door on either side of Baekhyun’s head, obstructing his view so that the only thing he saw was him.

Baekhyun gulped.

‘Chanyeol, please… let me help,’ Baekhyun brought his hands up, fingers grasping the buttons on Chanyeol’s shirt and undoing them one by one. The taller watched his every move, arms falling to his sides. 

Baekhyun used this tiny moment to calm his nerves; if they were about to do what Baekhyun _thought_ they were doing, he’d have to be a lot less shaky and a lot more calm. 

Chanyeol sensed his nervousness, holding Baekhyun’s fingers from where they were on his shirt button, rubbing his thumb across Baekhyun’s knuckle. 

‘Baek, relax. It’s just me and you. Chanyeol and Baekhyun.’ Chanyeol smiled, eyes reassuring.

Baekhyun let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding; why was he so nervous?

‘I just… I really want this to be perfect with you, just like the rest of this trip.’ Baekhyun said, voice soft. He looked up at Chanyeol who was listening to him with intent. ‘I don’t know why I’m so nervous.’ 

Chanyeol sighed, intertwining his fingers with Baekhyun and bringing them up to his mouth. He kissed one of Baekhyun’s fingers, lips soft and sweet against his skin. 

‘You don’t need to be. This is already one of the best nights of my life, Baekhyun.’ 

He paused. ‘I want you to continue, just how you were doing, okay? Can you do that for me?’ 

Baekhyun nodded, the corners of his mouth twitching up when he saw the smile that spread on Chanyeol’s face.

This was the most intimate they’d ever been, the closest they’d ever been, yet Chanyeol was still the same.

Chanyeol was still Chanyeol.

He slowly undid the rest of the buttons, opening up Chanyeol’s shirt and pushing it off his shoulders, leaving that as well as the jacket to fall to the floor. Baekhyun finally got a view of Chanyeol’s bare chest; he was muscular and tan, abs defined in the middle of his torso yet a little amount of pudge still remained in his lower stomach. 

He was absolutely perfect.

The cold air hit Chanyeol, making him shiver and run his hands up over his arms. The pink eyeshadow from earlier had smeared, leaving Chanyeol’s eyes sparkling and glittery. The taller was the only one who was the most undressed, standing in the room vulnerable and willing.

Baekhyun couldn’t hold back any longer. 

He closed the tiny distance between him and Chanyeol, hands roaming up and down his chest, across his shoulders. A finger briefly touched by a nipple and Chanyeol’s breath hitched, watching Baekhyun’s ministrations. 

‘Baekhyun, please…’ Chanyeol whispered, taking both of Baekhyun’s hands into his bigger one and cradling his face with the other. 

Baekhyun let himself be held in place as he felt Chanyeol’s lips press against his, kissing him so delicately and softly it felt like a feather. Chanyeol’s lips were soft and wet, his bottom lip pushing more and more the harder he kissed Baekhyun. 

Soon, both of Chanyeol’s hands cradled Baekhyun’s face, holding him while their lips met again and again, growing in intensity and pressure. 

Baekhyun loved the change in pace, sighing as he opened his mouth to Chanyeol, feeling the taller’s tongue slip in. 

Baekhyun sucked on his tongue in between kisses, earning a groan from Chanyeol who lifted him up suddenly, both of his legs hooked on either side of his waist. 

He felt the press of Chanyeol’s bed on his back as he was lowered down, Chanyeol hovering above him and continuing with his kisses. They were harsh this time, and desperate; Baekhyun was almost out of breath with how hard Chanyeol was kissing him. 

It was wet and sloppy, not nearly as delicate as they had started. And Baekhyun loved it. 

‘I want to see you, Baekhyun.’ Chanyeol said, voice hoarse and raspy, making Baekhyun whimper. 

They had only been kissing, yet Baekhyun felt that he was so hard already. Judging from the tent in Chanyeol’s jeans, he was in a similar state too. 

Baekhyun moved to loosen the belt around his waist, but Chanyeol stopped him, a ‘let me’ escaping his lips as he continued from where Baekhyun left off.

It wasn’t long before Baekhyun’s entire top half was bare, skin on display all for Chanyeol to see. Baekhyun wasn’t nearly as toned as Chanyeol, yet Chanyeol showed no signs of disappointment; his hands traced over Baekhyun’s chest, squeezing what he could.

He trailed kisses starting from his lips to his neck, and then Baekhyun’s nipple, wrapping his lips around a bud and sucking. 

Baekhyun squirmed, feeling himself grow impossibly hard at the sensation. Chanyeol’s mouth was just so _wet._

‘Chanyeol, lower, _please_ .’ Baekhyun said, hands carding through Chanyeol’s hair. Both of them were still wearing pants, but Baekhyun wanted to change that. Quickly.

Chanyeol smiled at Baekhyun, eyes not leaving his as he continued to suck and lick at Baekhyun’s chest.

‘Lower where?’ He said, enjoying the annoyed sigh that came out of the smaller’s mouth.

‘Chanyeol, please, don’t make me say it.’

‘But I’m not sure what you’re talking about, Baek.’ Chanyeol lied, trailing kisses lower on Baekhyun’s abdomen. He got to the part just above the waist of his jeans, nose carding through the sparse hair that grew there. 

‘I… my cock is so _hard_ , Chanyeol.’ Baekhyun whined, cheeks reddening from the embarrassment. Chanyeol had no idea the effect he had on him.

‘Please, put your mouth on me.’

‘That’s it.’ Chanyeol pulled down Baekhyun’s dress pants, undoing the zipper and pulling down his underwear as well. He discarded both on the floor behind him, leaning back to take in the sight in front of him. 

Baekhyun was fully naked now, the only thing left was the ring on his finger and the makeup lining his eyes. 

He was also hard, cock springing up and leaking a translucent liquid. Baekhyun desperately wanted to cover himself, he wasn’t used to being exposed like this. He kept his arms to his sides though, resisting the urge. 

‘Baekhyun, _God…_ ’ Chanyeol started, eyes obviously focusing on Baekhyun’s cock. ‘I need you in my mouth.’ 

Baekhyun was about to reply, voice cut off with a choked out sob as Chanyeol took him in his mouth, tongue prodding at his slit and making him leak more. Baekhyun had to catch his breath; if Chanyeol kept this up, he’d be coming in no time.

He opened his eyes and looked down at Chanyeol who was kneeling on the bed, chest bare and mouth slowly taking more of Baekhyun inside him. His lips looked full and pretty as they stretched around Baekhyun’s cock, eyes peering up at the smaller. 

The moment Baekhyun met Chanyeol’s eyes, he almost came. He’d never been so turned on by a sight in his life.

Baekhyun moaned when Chanyeol took him in further, one hand holding Baekhyun’s thigh and the other playing with his balls. Chanyeol started moving up and down, tongue relentless in its licking as it traced the veins on the underside of Baekhyun’s length.

It took all of Baekhyun’s strength not to thrust into Chanyeol’s mouth; he just looked so pretty, eyes hooded and pink eyeshadow on display. His arm muscles flexed as he held down Baekhyun’s thighs, enjoying the way the smaller squirmed when he gave a particularly hard suck.

Baekhyun found it filthy, the way he felt no shame in being sucked off in Chanyeol’s childhood room. He found it filthy, the way he enjoyed the wet sounds and deep moans coming out of Chanyeol’s mouth.

He found it most filthy, however, when Chanyeol stopped sucking, opening his mouth and sticking out his tongue. Baekhyun took the signal, gripping his cock and slapping it a few times against Chanyeol’s tongue, watching his precum coat his lips and get on his chin. 

‘Mmm, you taste so good, Baek. You’re so thick,’ Chanyeol moaned, leaning down to suck Baekhyun again. 

Baekhyun couldn’t stop his hips from bucking, whimpers leaving his mouth. Chanyeol’s mouth was so addicting. 

‘Chanyeol, stop, I’m gonna come.’ Baekhyun pleaded, ‘I’m so close, please.’

Chanyeol didn’t stop. 

He pressed his tongue against Baekhyun’s slit, and Baekhyun came with a groan inside Chanyeol’s mouth, gasping from the overstimulation as Chanyeol swallowed around him. 

Before Chanyeol could do anything else to him, Baekhyun sat up, undoing Chanyeol’s belt and unzipping his jeans. 

‘I don’t care what happens, but I need to suck you, now.’ Baekhyun said, taking off the rest of Chanyeol’s jeans and underwear.

He was met with the sight of the longest pair of legs he’d seen, with hairless thighs and strong muscles. Baekhyun's mouth watered at Chanyeol’s hard cock between his thighs, springing up once it was freed from the confines of his jeans.

Chanyeol was _big._

Baekhyun leaned back on the bed, laying down in his position from before. He reached out to Chanyeol who started crawling his way over Baekhyun, kneeling once he got to Baekhyun’s face. 

Baekhyun had a perfect view of Chanyeol’s cock, both of Chanyeol’s knees being placed on either side of his head. Baekhyun couldn’t believe the position he was in, literally. 

‘Chanyeol. Put yourself in my mouth, please,’ Baekhyun said, holding Chanyeol’s thighs. ‘ _God,_ this angle is so hot.’

‘You look so pretty like this, Baek. Underneath me and mouth open,’ Chanyeol said as he gripped his cock, leading the tip into Baekhyun’s awaiting mouth. A deep groan left his body as Baekhyun sucked at the head, kissing the tip once he felt the surge of precum. 

‘Your mouth feels _so_ good.’ Chanyeol moaned, guiding more of his cock into Baekhyun’s mouth.

Baekhyun could feel tears prickle the corner of his eyes, not from the stretch but from the sensation of it all; he was literally in heaven. His cock was already hardening again just at the thought of sucking Chanyeol off.

And that’s what Baekhyun did. He hollowed his cheeks as he sucked Chanyeol in further, welcoming the length down his throat as the taller pushed in.

This time, Chanyeol was in charge of the pace, lowering and lifting himself in and out of Baekhyun’s mouth. The look on Chanyeol’s face was so hot, eyebrows furrowed as he focused on the sight of his cock disappearing into Baekhyun’s mouth, covered in his spit.

Chanyeol pulsed against Baekhyun’s tongue, a deep groan resounding through his chest as his thrusts increased in pace. Baekhyun couldn’t fit all of him into his mouth, Chanyeol’s cock being longer than anyone he’d previously slept with. He used his hands to work the rest of him, fingers toying with his balls and making Chanyeol shiver. 

Baekhyun held Chanyeol in place, stopping his thrusts and moving his head up to mouth at Chanyeol’s balls, sucking on one. He licked at the hot skin, coating both of them with his spit. _God._

‘Chanyeol, let’s change positions,’ Baekhyun said from under Chanyeol, who was gasping from the stimulation.

‘Baekhyun, wh-’

‘I want you inside of me, Chanyeol.’

Chanyeol stopped what he was doing, looking down at Baekhyun and immediately moving away. ‘God, I thought you’d never ask.’

Baekhyun laughed when he saw Chanyeol smile, that same goofy smile he made so many times before. 

‘Do you have any lube?’

‘Are you kidding? This is my teenage bedroom, of course I have lube.’ Chanyeol said, walking to his nightstand and taking out an inconspicuous bottle. Baekhyun watched as he walked, appreciating the view in front of him. 

Chanyeol walked back over, cock flushed red and hard between his thighs as he knelt in front of Baekhyun. Baekhyun held himself up on his elbows; he knew where this was going. 

Chanyeol coated his fingers in the thick liquid, eyeing Baekhyun with a nervous look. ‘Um, Baekhyun, just so you know… we can stop at any time if this hurts. I want you to be honest with that, okay? Please tell me if I’m hurting you.’ 

Baekhyun was caught off guard at Chanyeol’s sincerity; he was staring at him with wide eyes, focused on Baekhyun’s feelings despite how turned on he visibly was.

‘I’ll be honest, Chanyeol, I promise.’ Baekhyun said, sitting up to kiss Chanyeol. ‘Right now I really want those fingers inside of me, though.’

Baekhyun spread his legs and hiked them up, exposing himself even more to Chanyeol. 

Chanyeol abandoned his previous look of nervousness, eyes focused on the pink rim of muscle. Chanyeol leaned forward, dipping the tip of his lubed finger into Baekhyun, past the puffy rim. Baekhyun’s breathing sped up; it was a while since he’d last fingered himself. And Chanyeol’s fingers were a lot thicker than his.

The rest of Chanyeol’s finger eventually sunk in, pushing in and out of Baekhyun as Chanyeol prepped him. He slowly increased the amount of fingers, leaving Baekhyun a moaning and whimpering mess when he reached three. 

‘Chanyeol, I’m ready, please,’ Baekhyun moaned, feeling Chanyeol arch his fingers just right inside of him. ‘I need to feel you inside of me right now.’ 

‘ _God_ yes, Baekhyun,’ Chanyeol moaned, gripping himself and hovering over Baekhyun, lining up with his entrance.

Baekhyun looked into Chanyeol’s eyes as Chanyeol pushed in, the tip of his cock thick and throbbing as he slowly sunk inside Baekhyun. 

Baekhyun’s back arched, legs spreading wider as Chanyeol took his time entering him. He watched Chanyeol’s blissed out expression, mouth forming an ‘O’ as he supported his weight on his forearms on either side of Baekhyun’s head. 

After a few minutes, Baekhyun finally felt his muscles relax; the burning sensation was still there, but not nearly as uncomfortable as when Chanyeol first pushed in. Chanyeol breathed in Baekhyun’s ear, whispering calming words as Baekhyun adjusted to his size. 

‘Chanyeol, move, I’m ready,’ Baekhyun said, legs wrapping around Chanyeol’s torso and hooking behind his back. 

‘Let’s come together, _please,’_ Baekhyun begged, watching Chanyeol move his hips tentatively, groaning at Baekhyun’s outburst. 

‘God yes,’ Chanyeol groaned as he started thrusting, slow and deep. Baekhyun felt the slow drag of Chanyeol’s cock inside him, pulling out almost completely just to sink right back in. 

The slick sound their skin made was delicious, and Baekhyun couldn’t get enough. 

Baekhyun exhaled throatily at a harder thrust from Chanyeol, feeling him almost hit his prostate but not quite.

‘Chanyeol, please, you almost hit it,’ He whined, Chanyeol’s hips snapping harder at the request and picking up the pace. 

Suddenly, Baekhyun saw stars, feeling the tip of Chanyeol’s cock hit that spot inside of him repeatedly, his hips relentless in their thrusting. 

‘God, r-right there, harder,’ Baekhyun pleaded, legs wrapping tighter around Chanyeol’s waist and hands in his hair. 

Chanyeol had one arm supporting his weight and one arm gripping the headboard as he pounded into Baekhyun; the sight alone made Baekhyun close to coming. He clenched around Chanyeol’s cock, instantly gaining a loud groan from the taller. 

‘You’re so _tight_ Baekhyun, oh my god,’ Chanyeol moaned, hips accentuating his words. All Baekhyun could do was lie there and take it, feeling himself being pushed up higher in the mattress from how hard Chanyeol was thrusting. 

‘I’m gonna come soon, Chanyeol, I’m so close,’ Baekhyun whimpered, tears at the corner of his eyes. He just felt so _good,_ Chanyeol was hot and thick and leaking inside of him and he reached deeper than his own fingers ever did. 

He kept clenching around Chanyeol, unable to stop as Chanyeol hit his prostate again and again. 

‘Baekhyun, you keep clenching, I won’t be able to last if you-‘ 

Baekhyun didn’t care. He wanted to feel everything Chanyeol had to offer, and he wanted to feel it now. 

‘Chanyeol, come inside me.’ Baekhyun gasped out, feeling his own orgasm approaching too quickly. He grabbed his own cock, stroking rapidly up and down, focusing on the sight of Chanyeol above him and the sweat dripping off of him. 

They were both so sticky and sweaty, and Baekhyun could come just from the thought of it. 

Chanyeol groaned _impossibly_ deep, head ducking into Baekhyun’s neck as he sped up his thrusts, the sound of his balls slapping against Baekhyun’s skin enveloping the room. 

One particularly deep thrust from Chanyeol sent Baekhyun coming, a high pitched moan escaping his mouth as he spurted white over his chest, shaking through his orgasm. 

He saw white as he clenched uncontrollably around Chanyeol’s cock, riding through the waves of his orgasm and whimpering at the overstimulation. Chanyeol continued his thrusts, and Baekhyun could tell he was close.

He held Chanyeol’s face in his hands, making eye contact with the taller above him. His face was flushed, forehead sweating and eyebrows furrowed as he thrust in, never once halting his hips. Baekhyun knew what he wanted to feel in that exact moment; he always knew. 

‘Come inside me, deep and thick, _baby,_ ’ Baekhyun moaned, hips rising to meet Chanyeol’s on every down thrust. 

Chanyeol came with a loud, deep moan, hips flush against Baekhyun’s ass as he spilled inside the smaller, thick cum filling up Baekhyun. 

Baekhyun gasped and hiccuped at the sensation, feeling Chanyeol throb and pulse through the last waves of his orgasm. The feeling of being filled up by Chanyeol was absolutely blissful; Baekhyun wrapped his legs around Chanyeol, reluctant to let him go. 

They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, Baekhyun wrapped around Chanyeol and the taller hugging him tight, both catching their breath. After a couple of minutes, Chanyeol spoke up, voice hoarse. 

‘Baekhyun, I know we could stay like this forever, but I really do need to get you cleaned up now,’ He laughed, kissing Baekhyun’s temple before pulling out. 

Baekhyun sighed, feeling content and happy as Chanyeol’s face came into view again. His face was flushed, his hair was messy, his smile was warm. 

‘I’m actually speechless right now. You have no idea how long I was waiting for this-’ 

‘So you’re telling me you were waiting, too?’ Chanyeol grinned, leaving to the bathroom that was attached to his bedroom. He came out again quickly with a wet washcloth. 

‘I can’t believe we were both playing so dumb,’ Baekhyun said as Chanyeol cleaned him off, wiping off his chest and inbetween his thighs. He also took the cloth and wiped both of the makeup off their faces, leaving them bare. Chanyeol’s touch was extremely delicate and warm. 

‘Yeah, well I figured it was time to stop fooling around when you started sucking my thumb,’ Chanyeol said, ‘I, um… can get kind of needy for sex whenever someone teases me like that.’ 

‘Really? I had no idea,’ Baekhyun joked, ‘Don’t worry about it, Chanyeol. I loved it. It was… hot.’ 

Chanyeol rejoined him on the bed after shutting off the light. Baekhyun held out his arms, signalling for Chanyeol to hug him; he did, laying his head on Baekhyun’s chest and covering them with a new blanket. 

‘I know we should probably clean up, but…’

‘Nope. We’re staying right here,’ Chanyeol spoke in his ear, voice tired. ‘It’s bedtime.’ 

‘You don’t want to change into pajamas?’

‘Not really. I can keep us both warm,’ Chanyeol said, hugging Baekhyun tighter. 

‘I won’t argue with that.’ Baekhyun laughed, tracing his fingers up and down Chanyeol’s back. ‘Goodnight, Chanyeol.’ 

‘Night, Baek.’ 

Long after Chanyeol fell asleep, his breathing settling, Baekhyun was still awake. The moon shone into the room, creating just enough light so Baekhyun could make out Chanyeol’s features; his mouth in a pout, his nose twitching every couple minutes, his ears still pointy as ever. Both of them probably looked so disheveled and messy, yet Baekhyun couldn’t find it in himself to care. 

What mattered to him was that he was here. In bed, Chanyeol asleep on his chest, perfectly warm and cocooned by the taller’s long limbs. 

Throughout his entire time knowing Chanyeol, Baekhyun had always thought he had a favorite moment. Yet with every passing day with Chanyeol, he found his favorite quickly being replaced by a new memory, a new feeling. 

It was the most exhilarating and foreign feeling, falling in love with Chanyeol and being the subject of his affection. Baekhyun couldn’t, _wouldn’t_ believe he could be so lucky. 

Chanyeol moved against his chest, nudging his head further into Baekhyun’s shoulder, finding a comfortable position. He brought up a hand from Baekhyun’s side, tracing the outline of his body until he found his hand. In the middle of his sleep, Chanyeol intertwined he and Baekhyun’s fingers, grip soft yet sure.

Baekhyun felt his heart leap at the tiny gesture, thinking to himself. 

Maybe Baekhyun was meant to feel this all along. 

\--- 

By the time morning came, both Chanyeol and Baekhyun had changed positions numerous times, waking up in a tangle of limbs and with most of the blankets kicked off of the bed. They were sharing a pillow, Chanyeol snoring behind Baekhyun and wrapping an arm around his bare waist. 

The sun shone proudly through the window, waking Baekhyun up. He wasn’t sure what time it was, but he figured by how bright it was in Chanyeol’s room that it was mid-morning; they had slept in. 

Baekhyun could feel his body sore from the night before, yet his mind was sated. 

‘Chanyeol, you sleepy-head, I think it’s time for us to wake up.’ 

‘Mmm… no, a couple more minutes.’ Chanyeol mumbled, wrapping his arm tighter around Baekhyun, caging him in. 

Baekhyun sighed, failing from stopping a huge grin spread across his face. ‘Chanyeol I’m serious! If we’re not up soon, your mom might come in and try to wake us up herself…’ 

‘Let her see. I’m not ashamed.’ Baekhyun could hear the smile in Chanyeol’s voice. 

Chanyeol blew kisses into the back of Baekhyun’s neck, tickling Baekhyun and making him squirm out of his place in the taller’s arms. 

‘Hey! Where are you going?’ Chanyeol pouted as Baekhyun left the bed, picking up their discarded clothes on his way to the bathroom. He’d have to make a mental note to do their laundry later. 

‘To have a shower. _One_ of us needs to get up and ready!’

As Baekhyun entered the bathroom, he heard the telltale heavy footsteps of Chanyeol behind him, hugging him from behind as Baekhyun turned on the shower. 

Chanyeol’s voice was hoarse, still fresh from waking up and so deep it made Baekhyun’s heart flutter. 

‘I hope you don’t think I’d let you have that shower alone, now do you?’ 

\---

Baekhyun looked amongst the racks of fresh fruit, seeing some familiar ones and some that he’d never seen before, enticed by their differing colors. It was high afternoon, and he was trying to find some fruit to take back with him to the foundation, never having the opportunity to eat fresh fruit when he was there. 

He heard Kyungsoo come up from behind him, pointing to a purple fruit with white speckles on it. 

‘That one’s _really_ good, I’d recommend you try that one!’ He said. ‘And it’s one of Chanyeol’s favorites, too.’ 

‘You’ve sold me.’ Baekhyun grabbed two of the weirdly colored fruits, putting them in his little basket. 

Baekhyun was glad he got to spend this time out of the house, taking a peek at what casual life would be like here. After breakfast, he had joined Kyungsoo and Jongin for a trip to the market; it was their last thing they had to do before they left town. Baekhyun didn’t expect the pair to invite him out, he was prepared for a day of helping Chanyeol clean up the backyard from the party before (which was Chanyeol’s punishment for leaving the event early, Mrs. Park told him rather forcefully once the taller finally showed himself the next morning). 

However he was pleasantly surprised by their little outing, never being to a market before and finding amusement in the little trinkets and objects for sale everywhere he looked. He promised he’d bring Chanyeol something back, the latter pouting as he left and preparing for an afternoon full of hard work. 

Baekhyun smiled thinking of Chanyeol waiting for him back at the house: sweaty and in that muscle shirt that Baekhyun particularly loved. 

‘So, you and Chanyeol made it official last night, didn’t you?’ Jongin asked as they walked, leaving Kyungsoo behind in the fresh fruits section of the market. 

‘What! How did you know?’

‘Oh, Chanyeol couldn’t keep a secret to save his life. After so many years of being his friend, it’s so easy to read his face.’ 

They stopped, looking at a table full of various cloth and linens for sale. _These sheets would look good in Chanyeol’s room,_ Baekhyun thought. 

‘Congratulations though. I can tell you make him really happy. Which makes me happy, in return.’ 

Jongin smiled at Baekhyun, holding up a piece of table cloth. ‘Do you think Kyungsoo would like this?’ 

‘I’m not sure if I know Kyungsoo’s taste well enough yet to know,’ Baekhyun laughed, heart full from the compliment. He hoped Chanyeol knew how happy he made him, too. ‘Maybe some nude tones would be better for a tablecloth? It’s a pretty neutral option.’

‘Yeah, you’re right. I kind of wanted to make the place more mature-looking now that we have a baby, right now we have a little hand-me-down cloth that looks like it’s a hundred years old at least. Do you think the baby would like this?’

Baekhyun laughed; God, the anxieties of new parents. 

‘I think they’d _love_ it,’ Baekhyun grabbed the cloth and put it in Jongin’s basket for him, already eyeing what to look at next. 

‘I think I’m going to go find something I can bring back for Chanyeol, like a tiny gift. Something cute.’ 

Jongin scanned the merchants in front of them. ‘Hmm.. How about a tiny music box? They have them for sale at the tables on the far end of the market, it’s not hard to find.’ 

Baekhyun’s heart fluttered at the gift idea; it’d be perfect for Chanyeol. And to think of the look on his face when he opens it, tiny sounds of a familiar tune coming out of the miniature box…

‘That’s perfect! I’ll be right back,’ Baekhyun waved to Jongin and headed to the far end, making sure to note the way he took so he wouldn’t get lost (which is something that would _totally_ happen to Baekhyun). 

Baekhyun spent the next ten minutes looking at the music boxes, which were sold by (what appeared to be) an old lady. He knew better than not to assume she was human, though. 

There were about thirty tiny music boxes in front of him detailed with their own unique paintings, each box more beautiful than the next. Some were about the size of his palm, others were bigger, about the size of his entire hand. The tinier ones enticed Baekhyun, though; he wanted one that could fit easily on Chanyeol’s nightstand, maybe sing him to sleep on the nights where it was hard to rest. 

After talking to the older merchant and sampling the various boxes, Baekhyun decided on a box that reminded him of Chanyeol’s memory box at home; it was tiny, painted blue with white stars and a moon. It sang a lullaby, unknown to Baekhyun yet soothing and calming in its voice. It was perfect. 

He couldn’t wait to bring this back home to Chanyeol, maybe giving it to him on the trip home, hearing Chanyeol hum along to it all the way back. Baekhyun could get used to this, he thought. It felt nice having someone here to gush over, even if it was to himself. 

He placed the tiny box in a gift bag, securing the top with a piece of ribbon and thanking the merchant for being so helpful. Baekhyun’s heart felt so light, so calm and so content. It was the first time since he arrived in this new world that he actually felt entirely caught up in his own heart, his anxieties from the back of his mind slipping away and being replaced with nothing but _Chanyeol._

That blissful and safe feeling, though, left too soon as Baekhyun saw a tall man at the other end of the stall he was at, eyeing the boxes, holding one up and snickering before he put one back down. 

Baekhyun knew exactly who that was; of course he’d have to show up in a time where Baekhyun was legitimately enjoying himself. To say that he was angry was an understatement.

‘What are you doing here?’ Baekhyun swallowed the sickly feeling he had in his gut, rolling his eyes when the man in front of him pretended not to hear him. He didn’t care what he had to do, he had to stand up for himself. It was obvious by now what the man’s intentions were. 

‘Kris, I’m talking to you. What are you doing here? Why do you keep following me?’ 

The blonde man finally looked at Baekhyun, dropping the tiny music box he had in his hands on the table and knocking others over in the process. Baekhyun made a mental note to pick those up afterwards. 

‘It’s funny, you only notice me when Chanyeol’s not around. Did you know that?’ 

Baekhyun’s eyes narrowed as Kris moved closer, eyeing the gift bag. ‘I’m guessing that’s for him, too? God, he really does have you whipped for him, even after one petty night of sex?’ 

‘Shut up,’ Baekhyun said, ‘You don’t know anything. And you didn’t answer my question.’

‘Oh, I know more than you think, Baekhyun.’ Kris moved closer, obstructing Baekhyun’s view of the way he came. He couldn’t see behind him, either; Kris was too tall for him to look behind him.

‘You think I haven’t seen you and him? The way he looked at you last night? The hunger in his eyes as you were _sucking his thumb,’_ Kris faked a laugh, scoffing. ‘Oh, did the guests ever eat that up. Once you two left it was only a matter of time before the rumours started to fly. There was no way I could stop them.’

‘What are you talking about? You weren’t there last night.’ Baekhyun held his ground, determined. ‘And no one saw us, only Chanyeol’s mom did. You’re lying.’ 

‘Am I?’ Kris’ voice got deeper, slower. ‘Think about it, Baekhyun, you wouldn’t have noticed me if I was there. Neither would Chanyeol. You two were so focused on one another you didn’t even see me slip inside.’ 

Baekhyun’s face grimaced at what Kris was implying, and his use of words. God, he was creepy. 

‘I couldn’t help myself, you see. I heard about your guys’ little excursion and decided to tag along. Chanyeol’s one interesting man, you know.’ 

‘What the hell does that mean?’ Baekhyun was starting to get more angry, feeling the heat flush his cheeks. Nothing that Kris was saying was making sense. ‘Why are you so obsessed with Chanyeol?’

‘It’s not Chanyeol I’m obsessed with, baby. It’s _you,’_ Kris snaked one hand closer to Baekhyun, settling it on the table top beside his hip. ‘Well, more like your kind. Soft. Pliant. _Human._ Exactly Chanyeol’s type.’ 

Baekhyun backed away. ‘Um… I’m not sure I exactly know what you mean.’ 

‘Well, it’s not exactly something Chanyeol would ever explain to you, I guess.’ Kris closed the distance between them once again, eyes narrowing down at Baekhyun. ‘You’re not the first human he’s ever been with, you know. Not the first to spend the night at his place, take walks with and even travel to his tiny old hometown.’ 

‘Me and Chanyeol, we go way back. We were friends once. But I couldn’t stand to be friends with someone like _him,_ especially after what he did. And I suggest you stay away from him, too, Baekhyun.’ 

‘You’re going to have to start making sense, Kris or I’m leaving.’ Baekhyun’s voice was shaky, definitely not as stern as he intended it to be. He wasn’t even sure what the taller man was talking about, yet his heartbeat was starting to pick up and the warm feeling within his heart was getting overtaken with anxiety, nervousness. 

‘Chanyeol… There’s a reason why he has a particular liking to you, Baekhyun. A reason why he’s moving so fast with this, with you. Surely you’ve heard of Irene, right?’ 

Baekhyun felt his whole body tense at the mention of that name; he had entirely forgotten about her and the past that Chanyeol and her had. 

‘A while ago she was Chanyeol’s everything, too. She left because she knew she couldn’t stay here, and guess what happened? Chanyeol’s been trying to replace her ever since.’ Kris sighed, moving a palm to rest over Baekhyun’s hand from where it rested on the table top next to them. ‘It’s obvious, I’m afraid. He simply picked the next human that came here, the next one he could ‘save’. I should have known you would have no idea, you poor thing.’ 

The smaller moved his hand away, crossing his arms. Baekhyun was beyond done; he needed to get back to Kyungsoo and Jongin. 

‘Look, I’m not sure what kind of game you’re playing, but it’s obvious that you’re hiding something. Maybe jealousy, resentment or anger, I don’t really care. I just need you to leave us, leave _me_ alone. Stop following me.’

Baekhyun turned on his heels and walked away, not in any particular direction, he just needed to get out of there. He felt like he couldn’t breathe, his chest tightening from Kris’ words. The faint feeling of panic was felt deep in his chest, and he needed to escape.

He couldn’t do this, not here. 

‘Baekhyun!’ Kris shouted out from behind him, voice growing ugly from how loud he got. 

Baekhyun froze in his footsteps, hands gripping the tiny gift bag impossibly tight. 

‘You’re nothing but a place-holder for him. Hell, you don’t even have the right _anatomy_ that he’s looking for.’ Kris’ words burned through Baekhyun, hitting him where he was most vulnerable. 

‘Ask your beloved Chanyeol how he feels about you going home, see what he says. You’ll see.’ 

Baekhyun turned his head to look back behind his shoulder, seeing Kris standing tall and proud, a smug expression on his face. He wanted to go over there and wipe it off, punch him for making him feel so damn insecure when he felt on top of the world just moments ago. 

Baekhyun continued walking, leaving the blonde man behind and passing numerous stalls, mind blank from their interaction. He paid no attention to where he was going, not even noting the way that people laughed around him, enjoying the afternoon for what it was. 

He ignored the sun shining on him, mind trapped in what felt like an endless loop of anxiety and worry about what he just heard. Surely Kris was lying, right? But then again, he did seem to know a lot, almost _too_ much… he even knew that he and Chanyeol slept together last night. 

It was the most awful feeling in the world, having something so sentimental be reduced to such a pitiful conversation like that. 

Baekhyun snapped out of this thoughts, figuring he should save the self-loathing for later. He needed to find Kyungsoo and Jongin, wherever they were. Before, he had wanted more than anything to find Chanyeol, to go back to the house and lay in his arms and listen to his deep voice rumble through his chest as he told the most pointless stories to him. 

But now, Baekhyun felt like he was betraying himself if he thought of that. Kris’ words, what he said about Chanyeol just felt too _fresh_ and he needs to just… distance himself. Baekhyun wasn’t an idiot, he was strong and capable and more than anything, he was cautious. He didn’t want to get hurt in this. 

Baekhyun couldn’t help but feel like an absolute fool as he looked down at the gift bag, the tiny gift that was supposed to be sweet and cute and a memory of him and Chanyeol’s trip. It was wrapped so prettily, so delicately that Baekhyun was sure that Chanyeol would love it, and could imagine the slow grin spread across his face as he opened it. 

He looked down at the gift bag, watching it fall to the bottom of the bin as he opened the top of a garbage can and threw it in. 

No one had to know how much this little gift meant to him, Baekhyun thought. No one had to know what he just went through, the extent of the doubt in his heart and the fearful realization of _what if it was a lie._

No one had to know that Baekhyun wiped a small tear from his eye, chest constricting and tears welling up from how pathetic he felt. 

No one _needed_ to know how much Baekhyun felt dejected, out of the loop, a complete outsider and like he had just either been deceived by Kris or even worse, used by Chanyeol. 

Baekhyun thought of last night, of their shared kisses and tight hugs straight through the morning, of the way Chanyeol caged him in the shower and did unspeakable things to him under the running water. 

He detached these memories from where they belonged in his heart, and kept them away. 

Byun Baekhyun was strong, capable and cautious. A huge part of him was in love with Park Chanyeol. A growing part of him, though, was being warped into something ugly: something fearful, untrusting and toxic. 

Baekhyun, unfortunately, knew what was happening. 

Fortunately, Chanyeol didn’t need to know. 

\---

Baekhyun bit his inner lip, tugging at the skin. He didn’t know how long he had been staring out the window, watching the trees fly past and keeping his eye trained on the sky above him. His neck had been starting to cramp up from holding it in the same position for so long, but he couldn’t find it within himself to care. Baekhyun felt cowardly and awful, yet he didn’t know how to stop. 

He didn't know if he wanted to stop. 

They had been driving back to Lucky One for a couple of hours now, leaving the next morning bright and early. It was almost April, and the sun was once again shining brightly, turning the grass a beautiful shade of green and lighting up the great blue sky above them. 

The vibrant, almost lively atmosphere outside did not match the tension in the vehicle. It had been almost an hour, and neither Baekhyun nor Chanyeol had said a word, just listening to the sound of vehicles pass by and the road beneath them. 

Baekhyun figured he had himself to blame for this. He felt so damn stubborn, and childish; he probably seemed like a pouting baby, giving Chanyeol the silent treatment. 

Yet the growing anxiety within Baekhyun’s heart wouldn’t let him talk to the other like he used to, flash him the biggest smile like he used to, speak to Chanyeol like he was the only one in the universe and it was just the two of them. Not since yesterday. 

Baekhyun knew he was paranoid, and anxious and a bit too cautious, but ever since that conversation, he’d been mulling it over in his head. The way Kris knew so much about their relationship, his offhand comments about his body (which were disgusting and dehumanizing), the way he made Baekhyun feel like he knew more about the man sitting in the driver's seat than he did. 

It was debilitating. Baekhyun was suffocating. And his mind wouldn’t stop replaying the moment he got home from the market, Chanyeol immediately running to the door to wrap Baekhyun in a big hug, and Baekhyun _froze._ In fact, he dodged it. He moved away. He gave Chanyeol the weakest attempt at a smile and he felt so incredibly terrible for it, but he couldn’t help it. He knew communication was key, but how do you bring up to the man that you’re in love with that you’re suspecting he’s just using you as his plaything? As a replacement? 

Baekhyun would rather live his life without knowing. The tiny voice in the back of his mind kept telling him that he didn’t mean anything to Chanyeol, that he was temporary. And after a whole night of Baekhyun keeping to himself, of not looking Chanyeol in the eye even when the other tried to talk to him, of showering on his own and purposely taking too long so Chanyeol would fall asleep before he got out, he convinced himself. 

He wasn’t entirely sure if what Kris said was true, but he wasn’t about to risk it. He needed to refocus, and get back to the task at hand when he had first got to this world in the first place. 

Baekhyun needed to get out. 

He still hadn’t asked Chanyeol that question that Kris told him too, in all honesty, he was… scared. Baekhyun wasn’t even anticipating any sort of incriminating answer from Chanyeol, yet he was absolutely terrified about what he could say. Would he want him to leave? Would he ask him to stay, and in that case, did that mean that he just wanted to use him for longer? 

Chanyeol’s sigh from beside him pulled him back to reality, his larger hand reaching over and holding Baekhyun’s thigh while he drove. 

The touch was warm, intimate. Baekhyun wanted to cry with how much he wanted to reach down and hold his hand. 

‘Are you sure you’re feeling alright, Baekhyun? Are you tired?’ Baekhyun didn’t meet Chanyeol’s eyes when he looked to his side, right at him. He could feel those pretty eyes scanning his features, the way he kept his head facing the window. ‘If you’re tired, you can sleep. When we get home I can wake you up. Maybe we can take a nap together, I’m tired too.’ 

Chanyeol’s voice was so soft and sincere, almost hesitant in its lilt. Baekhyun so desperately wanted to accept his offer, to close his eyes and let his brain do the rest as he fell asleep. Something inside of him boiled though, an ugly feeling in the pit of his stomach. Not jealousy, nor anger.

It almost stung, the way Chanyeol spoke to him. Baekhyun’s heart wanted to cling to the tenderness, but his inner voice fixated on one specific word, cutting through him like a knife: _home._

  
  


Baekhyun sighed, finally turning his head not to look at Chanyeol but to the road in front of them. 

‘Chanyeol… I need to talk to you. About _home_ .’ Baekhyun punctuated the word with a bit of tension, tired of avoiding the elephant in the room and wanting to free his mind. 

He needed to do this. 

‘How do you feel about me going back? Not to the foundation, not to your mom’s place, but home. _My_ real home. What do you think?’ 

The shift in the air was palpable, Chanyeol’s outstretched hand on Baekhyun’s thigh tensing. He retracted his hand, right when Baekhyun felt it could help the most. 

‘Um… I’m not sure. I think you should reconsider, maybe think a bit more about Junmyeon’s offer…? It seems like a lot to pass up.’ Chanyeol’s voice was lighthearted as he spoke, not particularly happy but light enough considering the topic they were discussing. 

Baekhyun knew he was looking too much into what he said, he _knew_ it. But he couldn’t stop himself. 

‘What do you mean reconsider?’ 

Chanyeol huffed out a breath that he was holding in. ‘Don’t you think it’s a bit… sudden to be talking about this? I mean, with our night a couple nights ago…’ 

‘I just want to know what you mean, Chanyeol.’ Baekhyun’s voice was tight, unrelenting. He wasn’t sure if it was from the anxiety or the fear of what Chanyeol would say next. 

‘I don’t think you should take Junmyeon’s offer lightly, and consider all possibilities. Going back to your home is a real, viable option that you should consider.’ Chanyeol sighed. ‘Just don’t worry about me if you’re thinking about it this much.’ 

Baekhyun felt shocked, stunned. 

What Chanyeol said fit directly with what Kris predicted. Sure, Chanyeol might just be wanting to keep all of Baekhyun’s options open, but what if he actually didn’t care if he left? What if he just didn’t care at _all_ ? 

The last words from Chanyeol stung, different than before. Baekhyun wasn’t sure what he was expecting; perhaps he wanted Chanyeol to feel more reassured, maybe he wanted him to ask him to stay with him forever, maybe move in, maybe start a garden of their own. 

He never, in his whole time in knowing Chanyeol, expected him to say that he should leave him out of the decision. It might have been noble in some eyes, freeing in others; in Baekhyun’s eyes, though, he felt alone. When he needed the taller to take his hand and tell him to _stay_ , he didn’t. Baekhyun didn’t ask for it but he didn’t think he had to. 

‘Baekhyun?’ 

Chanyeol’s voice broke the silence, his voice almost a whisper. 

‘You just got kind of quiet. Can you tell me what you’re thinking?’

Chanyeol was treading lightly. Baekhyun could tell. 

It was with a deep sigh that Baekhyun spoke, eyes still trained on the road ahead of them and his voice sounding a bit more forced than he wanted. He needed to rip off the bandaid while the wound was still fresh. 

‘I think I want to go home.’ 

Baekhyun looked downwards, at the place where Chanyeol’s hand previously rested on his thigh. It felt so cold now. 

‘I need to go home, Chanyeol.’ 

\---

In all honesty, he couldn’t breathe. 

He couldn’t breathe as he folded the rest of his clothes, tidying up his room and folding the bed sheets over themselves in the exact way he was instructed to by Yixing. 

He couldn’t breathe as he took out the bag from underneath his bed, changing into the clothes he was found in when he first arrived there, putting it on almost as a shameful suit of armor more than anything. 

He couldn’t breathe as he got a quick visit from Junmyeon, the latter explaining to him the time and place of where they were to meet, what Baekhyun should be prepared for tomorrow. 

Baekhyun _especially_ couldn’t breathe when he thought back to yesterday, of the way he spoke to Chanyeol, being the one to peer over this time and catch a glimpse of the shattered look in his eyes as he drove. 

Of the words that were said after. Of the tiny ‘okay’ that Chanyeol emitted, barely a whisper but carrying so much weight.

Of the way that Chanyeol’s hand never once returned to Baekhyun’s thigh, the way his arm muscles stretched and pulled as he hauled Baekhyun’s suitcase out of the vehicle, voice heavy and remorseful as Chanyeol said he had to get home quickly afterwards, he didn’t have time to see him in. 

Baekhyun knew that was a lie. And Baekhyun couldn’t breathe. 

He looked around the room, scanning for anything that he had missed. He’d done this about a million times by now, not really sure what he was looking for but figuring it’d be better than staring at the ceiling. The feeling inside of his heart was so, _so_ heavy, weighing down his every thought and puncturing him from the inside.  
  


He wanted to hide within himself, turn himself off so he wouldn’t have to rethink what Chanyeol said, the way that Baekhyun knew he caused so much more harm than Chanyeol ever purposely did to him with those few words. 

Baekhyun wanted to sleep, to escape and to be anywhere else where he didn’t have to doubt himself or his actions. 

He wanted to abandon all of his anxieties, because anxiety led him to thinking too much, and thinking too much _hurt._

It hurt, standing there in that room. The room he woke up in all those months ago and the room he’d be leaving indefinitely early tomorrow morning. It was as clear as Junmyeon said: _once you leave, you don’t have to come back._

If you had told Baekhyun that he’d be going back to his own world quicker than he anticipated when he first got there, he would have been ecstatic. He would have been relieved, shutting himself off in his room and just counting down the seconds until he could get out of there as quick as he can, ignoring the risks or the consequences. 

Baekhyun now, though, was different. This Baekhyun had seen what this world had to offer, he’d made friends, walked in the grass and smelled the flowers. Baekhyun had woken up each day feeling better than the day previous, with people looking out for him and a new friend who always greeted him with a huge smile and a joke to make him laugh. 

Most of all, though, Baekhyun had his own person. 

This person was a lot taller than him, smiled more than him, had cheesier jokes than him and definitely a lot more stories. This person gave the greatest, warmest hugs, had a mom back home who he absolutely adored, had huge, giant ears that stuck out so cutely and was more like a giant puppy than an Elf sometimes. 

He had Chanyeol. 

Baekhyun’s heart had Chanyeol; it had bathed itself in everything about Chanyeol entirely, reveling in the love he felt from him and fluttering every time he looked his way. 

But Baekhyun had also made a decision. A very outward, unashamed decision that he voiced to Chanyeol and probably either broke his heart, or ended what must have been a very interesting fling for him. 

And he couldn’t take it back. 

The inescapable weight of the past few months hit him like a freight train. What was he expecting, trying to start something with someone here? Quite honestly, Baekhyun felt pathetic for letting his heart guide his actions. He was an adult, he should have known better. Of course he’d be the one to have a once in a lifetime chance at something bigger than his own world and he used that as a game, as a free trial for his emotions.

Baekhyun remembered every word of what Junmyeon said when he met him before, his finely detailed explanation of what Baekhyun could, _should_ expect as he left. To enter into Earth just as he exited, to return back to normal life, to prepare himself for something that Baekhyun truly felt he could never fully prepare for. 

Junmyeon spoke clearly, without hesitation, in a way that Baekhyun could never miss. 

‘You’re going to have to prepare to forget about us, about everything concerning this world.’

_‘You’re going to have to prepare to forget Chanyeol.’_

It was common, Junmyeon explained plainly. To return back to Earth was to reset what had been done, almost like a blank slate. It was why they didn’t have repeat visitors often, or why people from their world didn’t venture into other worlds frequently. It was a sort of exchange between the planets, a handshake reversing what was done in the other and accelerating the adjustment back to the original world. 

Baekhyun wasn’t scared or nervous, not one bit. He had been (what he thought was) through hell and managed to make it out on the other side, bruised but not broken. It wasn’t his first time getting into something like this, and he was sure to make it his last. 

Baekhyun wasn’t scared, no. 

It was silly, and selfish and cruel, but Baekhyun was relieved. 

As he sat there on his bed, one hand gripping the sheets underneath him in an attempt to commit their feeling to memory, he felt relieved. He looked down at his clothes, washed and dried and so familiarly _his_ and felt relief. Baekhyun thought about Chanyeol, about the pain he caused both of them and the doubt he had within himself on whether or not it was the right thing to do, to say or to assume of them. 

He knew that he was just as big of a part of their ‘relationship’ as Chanyeol was, yet he felt like he was the one who had always called the shots. Always made the first move. Always pulled as Chanyeol pushed. 

Regardless of whether what he did was right or wrong, Baekhyun was certain that his presence in Chanyeol’s life must’ve been an accident. It must have been by a simple mistake they met, of Chanyeol conveniently being in the right place at the right time to save Baekhyun from himself in that reservoir. Baekhyun wasn’t about to let a simple mistake cause either of them any more harm than what had been done. He was finished with hurting Chanyeol, even if what Kris said was true. This wasn’t his home, this wasn’t his life and this wasn’t his _world_ that he had the privilege of just walking into and expecting everyone around him to bend to his favour. 

Baekhyun wasn’t even sure if deep down he believed that Chanyeol would be the type to use him so thoughtlessly; he did know, however, that leaving would commit a lot less harm than staying. 

Leaving was his only option at this point. There’s no way Chanyeol would ever want to continue anything with him, not after the way Baekhyun said those words, that ‘ _I need to go home’_ that neither of them could forget. 

Chanyeol wasn’t usually the type to leave Baekhyun alone, not for a moment. He would pry and coax Baekhyun out of anything, using that cheesy smile of his and that deeper than anything voice. 

But this time, there was no coaxing, no asking, no pressuring and certainly not a knock on his door from the taller, coming in before Baekhyun could ask who it was. 

This time was different. Chanyeol’s silence was enough of a message to Baekhyun than any amount of words could have been, and he wasn’t sure if he was shamefully satisfied or selfishly wanting more. The hurt he had committed, the tension he had created and the bond that he had broken was clear as day. 

Baekhyun looked around the room for the millionth time, counting the objects and making sure nothing was out of place. The chairs were arranged around the table as they always were; the rug beside the bed was moved to in front of the mirror just like it was when Baekhyun first got there. 

His nightstand was cleaned, scrubbed and wiped down, the little flowers and rocks Baekhyun collected from the garden discarded, leaving a bare surface. 

There was practically no trace of Baekhyun left in the room. It was intentional. Baekhyun wanted it this way; it’d be easier. 

He released his grip from the sheets, twirling his fingers and balling them into fists just to repeat the movement over again. In a way, he felt like the same Baekhyun that had come into that world, waking up and growing antsy with how much time he had to himself just to think. 

Nothing seemed to calm his anxiety, no matter what he did he couldn’t stop self-checking, couldn’t stop fidgeting and most certainly couldn’t stop thinking about how the hell he got into this situation. 

It was silly, really. Baekhyun felt so much pity for himself and so much shame for the people that knew him; of course he’d be in and out of there in a flash. The friends and acquaintances that he made probably wouldn't even remember him, wouldn’t even acknowledge his absence. 

Baekhyun wondered what Chanyeol would feel, how long it would take him to move on and find someone else. Someone smarter, someone braver, less emotional and anxious. Someone not as weak as Baekhyun felt in that moment. 

Like clockwork, Baekhyun heard a knock on his door. It was quiet and polite; certainly not belonging to Chanyeol (who knocked like he’d break the door down) or Jongdae (who didn’t even knock at all). 

Baekhyun paused for a couple of seconds; did he really feel up for company right now? 

A voice came from behind the door; calm and safe. 

‘Baekhyun, it’s Yixing.’ 

Yixing opened the door before Baekhyun could speak, not in his usual uniform but in casual clothes. He looked nice, hair not as tidy as it usually is and dimples appearing on his face once he smiled when he saw Baekhyun. 

‘I hope you don’t mind, but I brought company.’ 

‘Hey!’ A loud, almost whiny voice came from the hallway, walking in and making the room brighter. ‘This company has a name. That’s not the proper way to address Baekhyun’s bestest friend!’ 

The smile on Baekhyun’s face grew impossibly bigger. 

Jongdae stood next to Yixing, with his usual bright appearance and unpredictable antics. Already, Baekhyun could feel his anxieties lessen: not completely go away, but going to the back of his mind in the meantime. It was nice. 

‘I’m sorry, I wasn’t expecting visitors!’ Baekhyun got up to give each a hug; they were some of the first people he was introduced to at the foundation, it’s only fitting they’d be some of the last he would see. ‘I’m happy you came, I just finished cleaning up the room.’

‘Of course we’d visit you!’ Jongdae sat on Baekhyun’s bed, lounging. ‘It’s your last day here after all. I can’t let you go without seeing you off properly.’ 

The look in Jongdae’s face turned solemn as he looked to Yixing, who was still standing by the door. As the latter spoke he looked extremely cautious, as if worried he’d step on a live wire. 

‘Baekhyun… we’re worried about you. You just got back and you’re leaving so suddenly.’ 

Yixing walked closer, closing the gap and inspecting Baekhyun like he did on the first day he got there. ‘It’s.... It’s not normal to walk into something like this so quickly. Well, not normal considering your situation.’

‘What do you mean?’ Baekhyun was confused; he thought he was all set to leave. 

Jongdae spoke up. ‘We’re talking about Chanyeol, Baekhyun. What you two have.’

_Oh._

Baekhyun sighed, walking around the room and avoiding eye contact. If he looked at them, they would figure out the truth eventually. 

‘Oh yeah, I’ve decided to sort of break things off. Well, not explicitly but I doubt Chanyeol would want anything to do with me anymore. I’m just…’ Baekhyun trailed off, not sure why he was feeling so nervous all of a sudden (or maybe he did know why, he just didn’t want to admit it). 

‘I’m just trying to make things easier for him. For us. If I leave he doesn’t have to worry about me anymore, I’ve already put him through so much.’ Baekhyun’s hand started to shake; he was so damn nervous to talk about his feelings like this. It sounded like it made so much sense in his head; what happened? 

‘I don’t think someone like me, with my anxiety and… _state_ is what he needs. Not now, not ever.’ 

‘Okay, now I’m lost.’ Jongdae was the first to speak up after Baekhyun’s speech, standing up from the bed and walking over to Baekhyun. ‘What are you talking about Baek?’ 

‘I just don’t think I can stay. I’ve sort of messed everything up.’ 

‘Where’d you hear that from? Have you at least spoken to Chanyeol about this?’ 

Baekhyun was sheepish; God, he probably seemed like a fool. ‘Well… no…’

‘I was with Chanyeol last night, Baekhyun. He couldn’t stop talking about your guys’ trip, how much he loved it. He even went as far as saying it was the best trip of his life.’ Jongdae paused, hesitant. 

‘He was so, so happy when talking about you, Baekhyun. And I know Chanyeol. He fakes a smile most of the time, but this one was genuine. _You_ did that. You didn’t mess anything up.’ 

‘You don’t understand, Dae. I wasn’t talking about the trip. I was talking about what happened after…’ 

Baekhyun finally looked up at Jongdae, meeting his eyes. They were soft and reassuring; Baekhyun himself felt like he looked like a kicked puppy. 

‘I told him I needed to go home. That I want to. Because I genuinely do, Jongdae. I need to go. I’m just… not cut out for this. Too many things have happened that make me realize that.’ 

Jongdae sighed, pulling in Baekhyun for a hug. The touch on his back was secure, his hands warm. Baekhyun let himself hug him back. 

‘I understand. I’ve seen what happens when people are forced to stay here, and it’s not pretty. I can at least understand that much.’ 

Jongdae pulled away, hand still on Baekhyun’s shoulder. ‘You know I’ll miss you though, right? And you better miss me too. You better remember me!’ 

‘I will, I promise!’ Baekhyun forced a laugh along with Jongdae, internally grimacing with the reality of the situation. It was so weird, for someone to ask you to remember them. Baekhyun genuinely believed, _hoped_ that he would. ‘I won’t forget you Jongdae. No one ever forgets a friend.’ 

His face turned into a pout, pulling Baekhyun in for a hug once more. ‘Baekhyun, you sap. I better leave before you make me cry ugly tears.’ 

Baekhyun just hugged Jongdae tighter, closing his eyes and trying to commit the feeling to memory, too. This is why he couldn’t see anyone else today; he didn’t know how many goodbyes he could handle. 

They finished their hugging, with Jongdae lingering for longer than he intended and never leaving Baekhyun’s side as they talked for a few more moments, reminiscing and well-wishing one another. Yixing explained that he was there to see if Baekhyun was physically well enough to make the journey back, which he was; Baekhyun’s body was sound, increasingly more healthy than when he got there. He had more of a tan due to how much time he spent outside, his body was more lean and the burgundy in his hair was now a deep-red color, magnifying in hue.

‘I guess we should leave now,’ Jongdae whined, him and Yixing both at the door. Baekhyun felt his heart ache; before, he wanted to be alone, but now the prospect seemed so terrifying that he didn’t want to let his friends go. Reality would hit him faster that way. 

‘Baekhyun, I won’t ever forget you. I’ll grow a flower bed in the garden in your honor!’ 

Baekhyun could tell that Jongdae was trying desperately to lift the mood; it was sweet as it was sad. 

He hugged his friend again, and then once more, and then a couple more times. Goodbyes were never easy; they were ugly and painful and difficult, always leaving you wanting more. 

Jongdae left before Yixing did, explaining that he needed to be somewhere, to tend to something, but Baekhyun knew that it was just an excuse. His eyes grew watery as he left, and Baekhyun’s eyes were watery, too. Goodbyes sucked. 

Before long it was just Yixing left there with Baekhyun, still standing in the doorway. It wasn’t awkward; Yixing was the first face he saw all those months ago, and Baekhyun learned to associate him with security and safety only. With friendship only. 

‘You know, it’s really too bad your visit with us wasn’t for a longer time,’ Yixing said, leaning against the door frame. ‘You don’t give yourself enough credit, Baekhyun. Hopefully you’ll realize that soon.’ 

Baekhyun smiled. ‘From day one you’ve always been so reassuring. I know it’s your job to do so, yet it never feels forced.’ 

‘It’s because it isn’t.’ Yixing stood up, tall and proud. He stepped farther away from the door frame, farther away from Baekhyun. ‘Just because you’re human doesn’t make you any less capable than any one of us here. Anyone could make a home out of this place if they truly wanted to. And if they can’t find a place to call home, they can find a person.’

Baekhyun’s heart jumped, and Yixing smiled. 

‘I’ll be off now, Baekhyun. Be sure to have safe travels, please.’ Yixing extended his hand, shaking Baekhyun’s. 

He walked out of the frame, down the hallway with Baekhyun looking after him. Yixing turned around with a small smile on his face, as if he knew something that the other didn’t. 

‘Baekhyun! When you leave, make sure to take that ring of yours with you.’ He winked in his direction, extending his arm out in a wave. ‘I’ll see you soon!’ 

Before Baekhyun could make out another word, confused at his outburst, Yixing turned the corner and disappeared out of sight. 

He wasn’t sure what Yixing meant, he doubted that it meant anything at all really, yet he looked so _sure_ in his words as he left. 

Baekhyun looked down at his hand, fingers bare and cold. He wasn’t wearing his ring; he took it off the moment he got back from the trip, setting it on the far table. The whole accessory reminded him of getting here in the first place, of the fear and confusion when he first arrived. It also reminded him of the person who had a matching half, the person he grew to love and dance with and talk the night away about anything and everything. 

It reminded him of Chanyeol. 

As Baekhyun got ready for bed, turned off the light and settled underneath the covers, he couldn’t help but think of tomorrow. He couldn’t help but think of leaving, of how it would feel when he got back to Earth, focusing not on the safety of being back at home but of the way he wouldn’t remember anything from the past couple months. 

Baekhyun avoided thinking about the possibility of not remembering Chanyeol; it hurt too much. It felt like he almost cheated his own heart, in a way. 

His last night at the foundation was a clear one, the night sky absent of any clouds and the moon proudly shining in. It bathed the entire space with a dim light, making things appear calmer than they actually were. It soothed Baekhyun’s nerves a bit; the light prevented him from being in the dark, alone with his own thoughts. 

He started to nod off, the emotional exhaustion from today hitting him, lulling him to sleep. Before Baekhyun could close his eyes for the last time that night, his eyes transfixed on the tiny lettering on his ring, magnified by the light of the moon and almost glowing through the darkness. 

The word ‘ _forever’_ seemed clear as day even though Baekhyun’s vision was so fuzzy at this time of night. 

He could see it there, across the room, plastered on the ring on the table and appearing so big for such a tiny object. He didn’t question how well he could see it, he focused on it as he fell asleep, mesmerized. 

Baekhyun fell asleep to the promise of forever. 

\---

The next morning seemed to move by in a haze, Baekhyun too tired and dazed to fully compute anything that was happening to him and anything he was being told. Junmyeon arranged for a variety of people to check in on him before he left; the only familiar face he saw was Seulgi among the countless others. They kept asking him questions; where he was intending to go, if he wanted to go back the same way he came, if he wanted to be asleep for the process. 

They decided that Baekhyun would return to Earth through the same way he arrived; he would simply just have to let himself fall freely into the reservoir and he’d be moved back to his own world, passing out completely the moment he hit the water. Today was a partial-eclipse; Baekhyun didn’t have to wait for a specific moment to travel, the whole day had enough momentum for him to make the journey back unharmed. It was unceremonial, but it would work as long as Baekhyun wore his ring, Junmyeon said. 

Baekhyun felt off the entire morning, feeling like he needed to pack a million things with him for his journey back. It left an uncomfortable ache in his heart that he didn’t need to bring anything back with him at all except for the clothes on his body and the shoes on his feet; everything else belonged to this world, and would be left there. Nothing was meant to travel back with Baekhyun, nothing could be left to remind him of his time there.

Not even his memories of Chanyeol would be spared from the trip. 

He’d been trying to avoid it all day and all night, barely catching any sleep because of it. But Baekhyun knew himself and he knew his emotions, and he knew what his heart wanted. It wanted Chanyeol. 

Baekhyun still didn’t know if he’d see him before he left, he truly didn’t have the heart to think about it or bring it up to anyone. Junmyeon brought up the topic, and Baekhyun lied to his face about already saying goodbye to Chanyeol. It was pitiful and cowardly. 

Yet Baekhyun could not will himself to do anything about it. Facing the problem, facing _Chanyeol_ would just make reality hit harder than Baekhyun was prepared for, and he didn’t know how to explain the jumble of emotions flying through his head. He felt scrambled, constantly grasping at a thought to hold on to but always failing. If he couldn’t even talk himself through this, how could he expect to have a full on conversation with Chanyeol, let alone a goodbye?

Baekhyun felt suffocated. It was the cowards way out, and it was distasteful and harmful, but he couldn’t help it. 

The truth of the matter was that he was leaving this world forever at any time now, and he had to say goodbye. He needed to cut off his emotions and leave them as they were; when he got back to Earth, he could start new. Baekhyun would no longer need to doubt himself about this; he wouldn’t remember anything, anyway. And maybe he _was_ hurt, maybe he _was_ second-guessing his decision and maybe he was ( _definitely)_ in love with the man he was about to abandon forever. 

But it didn’t matter, it _couldn’t_ matter because Baekhyun was about to leave. 

‘Now Baekhyun, I need you to fully relax before we get there, we don’t want to send you away in a panic!’ 

Junmyeon spoke from the driver’s seat back to Baekhyun, who was sitting in the passenger side. They were almost at the reservoir; Baekhyun could recognize the scenery from the couple of times he’d walked by here with Chanyeol before. 

‘Don’t worry, I’ll be okay.’ A faint smile came across Baekhyun’s face at the memory of Chanyeol telling the story of when he found Baekhyun; he’d always wave his arms dramatically as he recounted the situation, flexing his arm muscles to show how strong he must have been to carry Baekhyun out of that water. Baekhyun remembered how his heart swooned, how his heart rate picked up the time Chanyeol picked him up in his arms one time, mimicking how he carried him before. 

As they pulled up to the reservoir, it seemed lonely and chilling, not at all how he remembered it when he came here with Chanyeol. Baekhyun guessed that that was to be expected; Chanyeol always had a way of making things seem better than they were, he knew how to pull back from reality and make everything just as warm as he was. 

They stepped out of the vehicle; they were parked on top of a bridge, the structure seeming older than Baekhyun was. It was old and rickety, yet it had its own magical charm to it. It was fitting for what the true purpose of the bridge was: at the far end, closer to the water, was a tiny ledge. 

The paint near the edge was worn off, probably from years of people using this site as a means of traveling back and forth between worlds. Baekhyun thought that it’d be daunting to fall into dark water, but this seemed nice; if anything, it looked safe. The impression that countless other people used this method made Baekhyun’s heart not beat as fast. He could do this. 

‘Baekhyun, I’m afraid I’ll have to leave before you, um…’ Junmyeon’s voice was awkward and shaky beside him, both peering over the ledge and into the water. ‘Before you leave us. It’s better to leave the person to their own devices once they cross worlds. Seeing someone disappear into black water and never resurfacing tends to be very damaging to people.’ 

The laugh that came from his mouth was forced, but Baekhyun appreciated the lightheartedness. ‘I’m sure you understand.’ 

‘Absolutely,’ Baekhyun said, holding his hand out for Junmyeon to shake. ‘You can leave. I won’t be too long here, anyway.’ 

‘You’re sure you’re not nervous?’

‘I’m…’ Baekhyun started, looking over again at the water. ‘I’m not really giving it too much thought. I’ll just dive into it, I guess.’ 

He grimaced at the weak joke; of course he had to make his last moments in this world awkward. 

Junmyeon laughed anyway, real this time. 

‘That’s the spirit!’ He walked away, opening the vehicle door and pausing before he got in. ‘It was a real pleasure having you here, Baekhyun. You were a delight.’ 

Baekhyun smiled; he couldn’t put into words how much it meant to him that he was cared for so deeply by the people he met, treating him like family even though they didn’t know him at all. He knew he didn’t need to, though; Junmyeon understood. 

‘Make sure you’re wearing the ring as you travel!’ Junmyeon yelled from his car, a huge smile on his face and arm waving enthusiastically. ‘Say hi to your grandmother for me!’ 

That had Baekhyun laughing; the lighthearted joke was heavily appreciated. 

‘Will do!’ He yelled back, watching as Junmyeon’s vehicle left the bridge. 

And then it was just Baekhyun. It was anticipated, but it felt sudden; the way that the bridge felt so lonely, the ledge creaking as he walked further to the edge. The water beneath him seemed so ordinary, but Baekhyun knew better. 

He closed his eyes, preparing to leave: What would it feel like? Junmyeon said he’d pass out as soon as he hit the water; what if it didn’t work? 

Baekhyun made sure the ring was on his finger, grasping and holding it there just in case; it didn’t burn like it did when he traveled the first time, but it was like it knew what Baekhyun was about to do; it was growing increasingly warmer, radiating an energy that he could feel throughout his body. 

The moment wasn’t peaceful, nor was it happy; it was sad and doubtful, but Baekhyun figured it wouldn’t get any better than this. He needed to do this now, before it was too late. 

Nerves got the better of him though and he opened his eyes, wanting to look around one last time before he descended into the darkness of the water and never returned. Baekhyun looked first to the view in front of him: to the trees, the tiny path on the side of the body of water, to the flowers, some of which he could recognize thanks to Jongdae. 

Baekhyun turned around, expecting to take one last look at the sun behind him and the lush green of the forest around him, but his eyes were met with an entirely different view. 

There, standing on the other end of the bridge, far but incredibly close at the same time was him. 

Baekhyun could recognize those ears from anywhere; the way they stuck out, there was no way it could be anyone else. The thick black mushroom on top of the man’s head was bouncing up and down as he ran, closer to Baekhyun and so quiet, but so hurried. Huge, pretty eyes looked at him on the ledge, brows furrowed and determined as he came closer. He didn’t look angry, or scared or upset; he looked worried. 

He looked incredibly worried, but always so beautiful. 

He looked like Chanyeol. 

As he got closer, Baekhyun knew it was definitely him. He wanted to open his mouth to speak, yet nothing came out. Chanyeol looked like he had a lot to say, anyway. 

‘Baekhyun.’ Chanyeol said when he finally got closer, voice soft and deep and warm, just how Baekhyun remembered it (and would soon forget). 

‘Baekhyun.’ He repeated, more desperate this time but still soft. Chanyeol’s eyes were searching Baekhyun’s, as if egging him on to say something. No matter what Baekhyun did though, his mouth wouldn’t budge; he was speechless. 

And he had been caught. 

‘Can I ask what you’re doing here?’ 

He sighed, not walking closer to the smaller but running his hands through his hair. He was wearing the same exact thing that Baekhyun had last seen him in, and his eyes were tinted with the faintest hint of exhaustion; it looked like he didn’t get a lot of sleep, either. 

‘I’m scared, Baekhyun. I’m really scared.’ Chanyeol started, ‘Jongdae told me last night that you were leaving today, and I would have come sooner but I thought that you didn’t want me, so I stayed away, but then I got panicked and I ran here, and now you’re right in front of me and I think you’re going to jump and I’m-’ 

‘Chanyeol. Breathe.’ Baekhyun interrupted the taller’s ramblings. A tiny (huge) part of his heart broke at the sight of Chanyeol so flustered and anxious. He had always seemed so calm and assured, but that was all stripped away now. Because of Baekhyun. 

‘Can you do that for me? I need you to calm down before we do anything else.’

‘Yeah, and I need to get out what I want to say before you _jump_ .’ Chanyeol shot back, ‘It’s not every day that you find out from your friend that one of the most important people to you is leaving this world entirely within 24 hours, and have to think of a huge speech to make him stay. Let me speak.’

‘Chanyeol, you don’t understand. I’ve already made up my mind.’ Baekhyun’s spot on the ledge of the bridge was unfaltering, so close to teetering off if he just moved his feet slightly. ‘I need to do this. I… I can’t stay here. I need you to leave.’ 

Chanyeol’s eyes widened at his remark; Baekhyun knew he was being mean, and he was being cruel, but he needed to make it this way. If he was cruel, it’d be easier in the end. It’d be easier for Chanyeol to move on. 

‘I didn’t want to see you before I left. You’re going to forget about this in no time. You’ll see. There’ll be other people.’ 

‘Baekhyun, what are you talking about?’ Chanyeol looked like he was holding himself back from reaching out to Baekhyun, scared of making him push himself off. ‘Please, come closer to me. Let me take your hand.’ 

Chanyeol’s arm was extended out; his larger hand was splayed out in front of Baekhyun, so tempting and open for him to grab. He wasn’t wearing any rings except for the one that was matching Baekhyun’s. 

‘No.’ Baekhyun said, his voice shaky. He couldn’t take Chanyeol’s hand, he just couldn’t do it; if he did, he was worried he’d never let go. ‘No, Chanyeol, you don’t get it. You’re not supposed to be here.’ 

‘And why not? Tell me why, Baekhyun.’ 

‘Because this was supposed to be simple!’ Baekhyun shouted, letting go. ‘I wasn’t supposed to see you, I was supposed to leave and forget about this and let you move on with your life, let you find other people to save and other humans to love. I’m supposed to disappear, just like Kris said I should.’ 

‘Kris?’ Chanyeol shouted back, ‘What does Kris have anything to do with this?’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Baekhyun stated, teetering back closer to the edge. This was already far too difficult than what it was supposed to be, his heart couldn’t take it. Not when Chanyeol was looking at him like that. ‘He helped me realize how much I don’t belong here. I’m not what you’re looking for, Chanyeol. I’m not like the other humans you’ve loved. And I never was supposed to be here in the first place.’ 

‘Baekhyun, I…’ Chanyeol looked like he was at a loss of words, grabbing for something to say. His mouth opened and closed multiple times, as if he couldn’t formulate a sentence. 

Baekhyun knew what this meant. Chanyeol couldn’t say anything, couldn’t reassure him because Baekhyun was _right._

‘You know I’m right, Chanyeol.’ Baekhyun spoke softly, taking a deep breath. ‘You know it. I was just too stupid to realize it before you.’ 

‘You don’t understand Baekhyun, I can explain everything if you just come over here, please, _come to me_ .’ Chanyeol’s voice broke, on the edge of crying. ‘Please. I just need some more time with you, that’s all I want.’ 

Baekhyun’s cheek was wet with tears that he didn’t even know he was making, his voice shaky and pitiful and hoarse from shouting. It reminded him of how _weak_ he was, how he couldn’t even get it together to leave with his dignity. 

Through teary eyes, it was clear. He needed to get out.

‘I can’t give that to you Chanyeol, I just can’t.’ Baekhyun spoke, softer this time. ‘I need to go back to Earth, I can’t find a home within you anymore.’ 

His feet edged back behind him, so close to the edge he could hear the water running below him, could anticipate its coldness. These were his last moments: teary-eyed, tired and defeated, and nothing could change that. Not even the man in front of him. 

‘I’m so sorry, Chanyeol.’ 

Baekhyun let his feet slip off the edge, and felt his eyes close before he was enveloped in freezing cold water, black and thick and suffocating. 

There were a few things about that moment that he could make out, just barely but it felt so clear. 

First, it was the water. It was churning beneath him, circling his entire existence and pulling him in further and further. It wasn’t like drowning, no; it was like swimming to the bottom of a pool, that feeling when you’re so far under you feel as if your head will explode yet the satisfaction of almost reaching the bottom is what tides you over and makes you forget everything else. 

Second was the sky above him as he fell, deep and blue, and so bright. Baekhyun couldn’t put his finger on it, but things in that world seemed brighter, bigger and better; the sky was no exception. The sun shone proudly and gave Baekhyun the last bit of heat that he needed before he was wrapped in coldness. It gave him strength. 

Third was the sight across from him before he fell, beautiful yet haunting in all that it was. It was Chanyeol, Baekhyun’s home away from home, reaching out. Eyes wide and mouth open as he saw Baekhyun fall before him, too late to grab him and too far away to do so even if he tried. Baekhyun thought he was beautiful; it was the last he’d ever seen of him, and he didn’t want to remember Chanyeol in this way, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away. He was tall, inviting and warm, everything that Baekhyun craved but knew better than to let himself spend one more moment next to. 

Chanyeol’s eyes never once left Baekhyun’s as he fell, not when Baekhyun walked backwards and surrendered himself to gravity, and not when Baekhyun went over the edge and hit the water.

Not even when Chanyeol’s own emotions hit their peak, the black tresses on his head turning immediately to ash grey as he saw Baekhyun fall into the water, and never resurface. 

\--

Baekhyun had about three scenarios planned out in his head for when he arrived back at Earth. 

The first one involved him resurfacing from the well, back at his grandmother’s house; he’d have to first figure out how to get back, and then find Sehun. Lord knows what kind of punishment he’d be met with if he ran into his grandmother first. 

The second prepared him for the possibility of not arriving back in Earth where he left it; in other words, if he just popped up in a random location. He didn’t have money on him, so he wouldn’t be able to pay for transportation. Again, he’d have to scrounge around for some quarters and use a pay phone to call Sehun. Or walk back to the house and risk running into his grandma, which again, he needed to avoid. 

The third was the one Junmyeon explained to him as the most probable. Baekhyun would, most likely, be so exhausted from the trip that once he resurfaced in Earth, he’d pass out for hours at a time. Walking back to his grandmother’s house would be near impossible due to the exhaustion, so he’d just have to hope for the best. It’s a good thing Baekhyun wore a hoodie and a jacket; once he got there, he figured he’d just find somewhere that’s sheltered for him to sleep under while he regained his strength. 

As much as he convinced himself that he was prepared for any scenario, Baekhyun knew in his heart that he wasn’t prepared for anything. And he had no idea what to tell Sehun or his grandmother that would excuse his absence. 

Not. A. Clue. 

No amount of preparation could have ever equipped Baekhyun for what he woke up to, though. 

He felt himself slowly regain consciousness, body tired and sore, brain pulsing from a headache and grogginess through his entire system. His eyes weren’t opened yet, but he knew where he was. 

Baekhyun was laying in his grandmother’s bed. 

He knew it was her bed; no other bed in the entire world could have five blankets on top of it, paired with the flattest pillow, and the biggest dip on the left side (which was the side Baekhyun was laying on). 

He could hear the sound coming off from the television in the far corner of the room, could smell his grandmother’s perfume and could make out the creaking of the rocking chair right beside him as he regained his senses. 

Baekhyun opened his eyes; discrete, slowly and cautious. 

He opened his mouth to speak, but instead of words a cough came out, albeit weak. 

_Oh no._ Baekhyun thought; he hadn’t even figured out what to say to his grandmother yet and he knew she was _right there_ beside him. 

‘Baekhyun!’ his grandmother’s voice came from beside him, standing up and running over to the bed at an alarming speed. Baekhyun didn’t even know that she could move that quickly. ‘Baekhyun! You’re awake!’ 

She yelled louder, higher. ‘ _Sehun, come quick! Baekhyunnie is awake!’_

Baekhyun groaned at the use of the nickname; he hadn’t been called that in years. He tried to prop himself up on his elbows, but it was no use; he was just too weak. 

‘Grandma, I-’

‘Baekhyun!’ Sehun’s voice was shrill and high as he ran into the room, immediately running towards him and jumping on the bed, enveloping Baekhyun in a hug once he saw that his eyes were open. ‘Baekhyun! You’re awake! God, you’ve been passed out for like one? Two days? It seems like forever, I never thought you’d wake up, you lazy ass.’ 

Baekhyun felt Sehun hug him tighter. ‘I missed you, dummy. You’re lucky I have patience.’ 

‘Sehun, get off him! You’ll crush him!’ their grandmother moved closer, sitting down on the bed and stroking Baekhyun’s hair. Baekhyun still had no idea what was going on; he felt like he was experiencing a fever dream. 

‘You have no idea how mentally and physically taxing that trip is, Sehun. Let’s give Baekhyunnie time.’ 

‘If you say so,’ Sehun said, hopping off of his place on Baekhyun’s stomach. Baekhyun let out a choked gasp; Sehun was _heavy._ ‘Don’t think you’re finished with me, Baekhyun. You have so much to tell me!’ 

‘Sure, Sehun,’ Baekhyun said, eyes glossy but smile genuine as Sehun left the room. He still needed further context to fully enjoy the situation, but it was so, _so_ nice to hear their voices again. Especially Sehun’s. 

‘Baekhyun, you look out of your mind. Are you sure you don’t want me to come back later? I can let you rest if you want!’

‘No, I’m okay,’ Baekhyun spoke softly, gathering all of his strength to hoist himself up. His back ached and his body was stiff, but he managed. ‘I um… I’m not entirely sure what’s going on.’ 

‘Well… You’re back home. That’s pretty much it.’ Baekhyun’s grandmother’s gentle strokes through his hair were so soothing, her voice gentle and calm. She didn’t seem mad, upset or surprised at all. ‘You’ve been asleep for quite a long time after we found you. I’m surprised you came back that early.’ 

‘Came back…?’ Baekhyun started, pausing and heart jumping when he suddenly remembered. 

He probably looked so stupid and foolish, but Baekhyun’s eyes widened when he suddenly was brought back to how he got here, where he was and most importantly, where he was before. 

He remembered the other world, Elyxion, he remembered Junmyeon, and Jongdae, he remembered the garden and the grass and the lights in the back of Chanyeol’s mom’s backyard and- 

_Chanyeol._

Baekhyun felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest when he remembered him, specifically about how he wasn’t _supposed_ to remember him. This wasn’t in the deal, right? Baekhyun was sure of it, yet his heart ached and burned for one person to be beside him right now, for one person to wrap him in his arms and speak in that deep voice of his, for one person to tell him it’ll be okay, that he didn’t mess everything up and this for sure wasn’t some sort of freak nightmare meant to torture Baekhyun. 

‘You’re remembering now, aren’t you?’ his grandmother said, voice tinged with excitement. ‘God, I remember when I first woke up too, except back then, there was no one to talk me through it.’ 

‘What do you mean? Grandma, I-’ Baekhyun was still so speechless, unsure what to focus on. ‘I need to explain where I was, I remember now and I-’ 

‘Baekhyun, relax. You’re going to panic if you don’t.’ 

His grandmother repositioned her place on the bed, scooting closer to Baekhyun. 

‘I know where you went, Baekhyun. I know because I’ve been there, too.’ she sighed, looking at Baekhyun. ‘That’s where I met your grandfather, all those years ago. Funny how these things run in the family, right?’ 

Baekhyun’s eyes widened; _what?_

‘You’ve been there too? To Elyxion?’ Baekhyun was tripping on his words, excitement building. ‘Grandma, it’s just like our world except different in the most peculiar way, they have people that are just like us but not really, I mean they’re not human, and they have different plants too, and God, I didn’t mean to go there but I did somehow and then I couldn’t get back to you-’ 

‘You’re doing it again Baekhyun!’ His grandmother laughed, ‘Calm down, please. _I know._ You’re forgetting that I’ve been there too. I was there for longer though, your grandfather had so much to show me.’

_Wait._

‘Grandpa? Don’t tell me he…’ It took a few seconds for Baekhyun to realize, to fully acknowledge what his grandmother was saying. 

When it hit him, it hit him hard. 

‘Grandpa is from there? Is he not _human?_ ’ Baekhyun sat up fully this time, incredulous. ‘You’ve never told me! How was I supposed to-’

‘Supposed to know? Simple. You _weren’t_ supposed to know.’ Baekhyun’s grandma poked his nose, smiling wide. ‘Well, that was the plan until I decided it was time for you to go there yourself. Poor Sehun, he was so sad when he found out he couldn’t go first. It took a lot of explaining, but eventually he got around to it. It helped him miss you less, he was so jealous for a while.’ 

‘I am so lost.’ Baekhyun said. 

None of this made sense. Well, it made sense but it was just unbelievable. What made it worse was the huge grin on his grandma’s face, never once leaving. It reminded him of a certain someone who would always smile so wide at him whenever he looked at Baekhyun, and he wasn’t prepared to think of that certain someone yet. 

‘Grandma, please explain!’ 

‘Okay, okay.’ his grandmother said, ‘Well, Baekhyun, to put it simply, the past couple of months were not an accident. You falling into that well, going to Elyxion and spending some time there. I did the same thing too, when I was your age. With that same exact _ring.’_

She pointed to Baekhyun’s hands, the ring still perfectly poised on Baekhyun’s finger, snug. 

‘I’m not sure how to say this; I never have. It’s why I didn’t explain anything to you before you left, which I should have.’ 

Baekhyun looked at his grandmother in earnest, waiting for more. 

‘Baekhyun, I knew straight from when you first got here that you were unhappy. Maybe not unhappy, but unsatisfied. I know your mother, and I know she can make your life as miserable as her own.’ She grimaced, facial features contorting but then returning back to their normal state. 

‘It’s why I gave you the ring. That ring right there,’ she once again pointed at his finger, ‘is the ring responsible for your journey. It’s what took you to Elyxion, if you needed it to, in the exact place you needed to be. It’s not fate but it’s pretty damn close.’ 

She continued her speech, stroking Baekhyun’s hair as he slowly realized what she was saying. ‘I was once your age, and felt so alone. I was gifted that ring from my own relative. It brought me to your grandfather, and opened me up to a whole new world I didn’t know existed. Your grandfather was as human as they could get over there; he was a teleporter.’ 

‘That trip changed my life, Baekhyun. And I have a feeling it changed yours, too. If it didn’t, you wouldn’t be remembering any of it, now would you?’ 

‘I wasn’t supposed to.’ Baekhyun said, defeated. He remembered what he did, and he felt pitiful. No amount of soothing could change that. ‘Grandma, I did something horrible. I left everything there behind, I just wanted to come _home-’_

‘Your home is not with us, Baekhyun. It’s with them, or him, or her. Are you going to tell me their name?’ 

The look in her eyes was unmistakable; she was enjoying this so much. Baekhyun was cautious. Surely she couldn’t be referring to… 

‘Who?’

‘I think you know who I’m talking about.’ 

A few seconds passed, a smile threatening to spread on Baekhyun’s face. She saw right through him. 

‘I mean… I think you’re talking about Chanyeol, but I’m not sure.’ 

‘Chanyeol?’ His grandmother squealed, ‘That’s his name? You’re going to have to tell me everything about him, he must be a _delight._ ’ 

‘He is! I mean, he was-’ Things still weren’t clicking for Baekhyun. ‘Wait, how did you know I met someone there? I mean, I know you met Grandpa but still…’ 

‘Baekhyun, you wouldn’t be remembering any part of that world if you didn’t meet someone. Let me explain more clearly, since I’m sure it wasn’t explained to you while you were there.’ 

‘Alright.’ Baekhyun settled on, preparing himself for what he was about to hear. Everything was moving so fast, he felt like he was getting whiplash. 

‘Usually, people travel to Elyxion and come back unchanged, unbothered. It’s because they don’t remember anything about the world, they aren’t supposed to. That’s what happens _normally._ But with you, your trip was different.’

‘You know your own emotions, Baekhyun. I know you do. The reason why you’re able to remember everything about that world, everything about _Chanyeol_ is because you fell in love.’ 

She sighed, her smile growing softer. 

‘And he fell in love with you right back.’ 

Baekhyun’s breath hitched, heart stopping. 

‘I’m guessing he’s what? An Elf…? Their hair always changes colors, it’s so cute, don’t you think? I figured from the way you came back with a red tinge in your hair, it’s so fitting.’ 

‘I- _what?’_ Baekhyun couldn’t believe what she was saying, this must have been some sort of glitch, his hair wasn’t still red, was it? 

‘Chanyeol isn’t- _wasn’t_ in love with me, grandma. I know he wasn’t.’ 

‘Then tell me why you’re remembering him right now, as if he was just here yesterday? Baekhyun, emotions like that don’t just go away. They’re impossible to erase. What you and Chanyeol have can withstand any distance, even if it’s across worlds.’ 

‘It’s what happened to me and your grandfather,’ she explained further, ‘A love like that won’t go away. It’ll stay in your heart. And that’s how you know it was true.’

Realization hit Baekhyun harder than anything. Everything his grandma said was true, she seemed to know so much, explained everything to him in such a calm way that she couldn’t be lying. It just made sense. Baekhyun knew his emotions, he was always fully aware of them; he remembered the exact night he thought he was falling in love, remembered how beautiful Chanyeol looked when he first woke up, when he laughed, when one eye crinkled more than the other when he smiled. 

He thought back to that first morning when Chanyeol made him breakfast, how cute he looked with his messy hair, how he always tried to make Baekhyun smile, even in the mornings. Or the look on his face as he danced with him, kissed him. Woke up the next morning completely wrapped around each other and whispering sweet nothings into his ear, kissing him underneath the water when they took a shower and drying his hair for him. 

Baekhyun thought back to Chanyeol, the thought of him existing in another world, so far away and hurt from his own words. Baekhyun knew he was so completely in love with him, he always knew. 

And the thought of Chanyeol being in love with him _back_ was just- 

‘Oh, _God,’_ Baekhyun moaned, hands coming up to rub his eyes. ‘I’ve made such a horrible mistake. I left, and now there’s no turning back, I had my one chance and I blew it, and Grandma you don't know how much I _loved_ him and now it’s too late to go back.’ 

Baekhyun fell back on the bed, feeling defeated. It took him traveling between two worlds for him to realize probably the biggest mistake of his life, and he was paying for it. 

His self-pitying thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his Grandma’s voice, determined and hopeful. Baekhyun’s eyes were covered, yet he could sense the smile on his grandmother’s face as she spoke to him from her place on the bed. 

‘ _It’s never too late to go back, Baekhyun.’_

\---

Chanyeol couldn't believe he let his house get this messy. 

There were papers all around the room, lyrics scribbled on every one, with coffee droplets on multiple pieces of sheet music. Guitars were strewn around the room, some on the couch, on the table, on the floor. He had made an almost permanent bed on the couch, with blankets and pillows cocooning him when he needed it most. Lately, he hadn’t felt like sleeping in his own room, for it was right across from his guest bedroom, and all it did was remind him of someone. 

It reminded him of Baekhyun. 

Chanyeol sighed, picking up the pieces of paper and throwing the mugs placed around his house into the sink, opting to wash them later. Today he at least showered and changed into a new set of clothes, and he considered that a win. 

It had been a while since he got visitors; on the occasion, Jongdae or Junmyeon would come and visit him, would bring him letters from the foundation or bring him a new house plant to add to his collection. The sentiment was nice; he knew they were just checking up on him, and he felt bad for not reaching out, but he couldn't help himself. 

He wasn’t the same Chanyeol from before, no. This change had taken place over a gradual period of about two months, and everyone that knew Chanyeol knew what he was going through. He barely left his house, only leaving to go on the occasional walk around the neighborhood or garden, generally avoiding the public. He was slacking in his exercise routine, and he almost never found joy in the things he was used to. 

Chanyeol was different; he was melancholic, uninterested, and felt like he was stuck in a perpetual state of waiting for a person he didn’t even know remembered him. 

It had been two months since Chanyeol had last seen Baekhyun, and he was different. 

However, some things about him were the same. He had the same passion for music, if anything, Baekhyun’s absence inspired him to write more; it was a healthy coping mechanism, Jongdae said. He still looked after the wildlings every now and then, after finding them a temporary babysitter while he took his leave. He still made trips to see his mom, he still had the same fluffy, black hair after a while (it took him about a month to get back to this color, after the initial heartbreak of Baekhyun leaving subsided and numbed his emotional capacity). 

And, more than anything, Chanyeol was still in love with Baekhyun. 

Impossibly so, he might add. 

Even after a couple months of not seeing him, Chanyeol could remember him perfectly. All those hours spent committing his face to memory as they talked or as Baekhyun sat beside him in the vehicle paid off; if Chanyeol closed his eyes, he could still picture Baekhyun beside him, smiling, laughing or sleeping, depending on what time of day it was. 

He couldn’t get him out of his head, no matter how hard he tried. He didn’t even _think_ about venturing out and talking to new people; no one could replace Baekhyun. No one else had his laugh, his humour, his perfect way of fitting perfectly against Chanyeol’s chest or the same big ears that honestly rivaled his own. Or burgundy red hair that was so beautiful it made Chanyeol’s heart flutter, coupled with the dozens of tiny moles on Baekhyun’s body that he wanted to cherish forever. 

Chanyeol couldn’t see how he could ever get over someone like Byun Baekhyun. It was in his nature to save people, to help them, to give them a home when they needed one most. 

Yet Chanyeol never thought that the favour would be returned, not until he met him. Meeting Baekhyun was as mesmerizing as it was life-changing; no one else captured him like he did, made him blush as much as he did or made him want to completely bare himself, sharing every part of his life.

It was often that Chanyeol would find himself speaking to himself as if Baekhyun were there, as if he could hear him. He knew that this was impossible across worlds, but he couldn’t help it. He always wore his heart on his sleeve and loved without hesitation; it’s what he took pride in. And he loved loving Baekhyun, even if it hurt him most days. That hurt was worth it. 

It was a strange feeling, loving someone you weren’t even sure remembered your existence. Chanyeol wondered if Baekhyun would ever come back, if he made it across safely. He swore he scoured that river for hours after he saw Baekhyun fall, determined to pull him out again and hold him close. 

If Baekhyun did come back, Chanyeol thought, he’d be prepared. He’d say the things he was always so scared of saying; he’d ask Baekhyun to stay just like he meant to, but never did. He would stop being worried of coming off too strong or too needy. 

If Baekhyun ever came back, he’d make things right this time. No beating around the bush, no shouting and no tears: he’d swallow his pride and tell him how he felt, with no barriers. 

And if Baekhyun didn’t believe how he felt, he would show him. 

Chanyeol walked across the living room after picking everything up, stopping at a tiny box on the small table next to the door. It was always there, just in case Chanyeol needed it in a hurry, ready and waiting. He had painted it in red and white, with little hearts on it (it was embarrassing but Chanyeol liked to think it was cute, in a way). He would never let anyone see what’s inside of it, not before Baekhyun could see it for himself, and if it just so happened that the box would remain closed for the rest of his life, so be it. 

Only Baekhyun was meant to see these. Maybe if Baekhyun saw what’s inside, he’d believe him. 

Chanyeol opened up the box, fingers hesitant and careful as he did. He looked inside and smiled; they were still vibrant as Chanyeol remembered them, when he came to his mom in a panic at what they meant.

Chanyeol stared at tiny red petals, the same petals that had grown in his hair a little while after he first met Baekhyun. He remembered being so scared and so worried; never once in his life did he ever see such a thing. 

He remembered the proud smile on his mom’s face as he told her that they grew, expecting her to be worried; instead, she wrapped him in a hug, crying tears not of remorse but of happiness. 

Chanyeol could remember the words she said to him clear as day, reminiscing the tight hug she received and the absolute adoration in her voice when she said ‘ _Chanyeol, these flowers mean that you’re in love.’_

He closed the box, putting it down on the table for safekeeping. He cleaned the rest of his house, heart still heavy but lighter than before. 

That box and its contents was a reminder of why he needed to have faith; who he needed to remember in the moments when he felt at his lowest.The tiny, red flowers that grew on his head those months ago, the same red as Baekhyun’s hair. Those few, tiny petals that he managed to keep stowed away in his pocket, maybe too sentimental but he didn’t care. 

Those tiny petals meant the world to him; for Chanyeol, they meant Baekhyun.

\---

The look on Sehun’s face was priceless; Baekhyun couldn’t help but laugh at him while he ate his cereal, laughing too hard to finish his sentence. 

It was almost noon, with Baekhyun waking up later than usual; his sleep last night longer than he was used to, he figured he’d need the extra sleep for today anyway. 

Today was the day he was going back. 

‘An _Elf?_ Tell me Baekhyun, in all of the months you’ve been back home, why didn’t you tell me this information sooner? That’s kinda important!’ Sehun flicked some of his cereal at him, a smile on his face. ‘Don’t tell me he has huge pointy ears or something.’ 

‘He does,’ Baekhyun said matter-of-factly, on the verge of laughing at the look Sehun gave him. ‘And for your information, they’re super cute and adorable. And you should be jealous.’ 

‘You know what, I kind of am.’ Sehun said, standing up to put away his plate. ‘He sounds like a real dreamboat. Tall, dark and handsome. Let me know if Chanyeol has a single cousin or something.’ 

‘Yeah, okay,’ Baekhyun said, finishing his cereal. He had to hurry up; if he wasn’t careful, he would miss his chance, and he still had a far way to walk before he got to the well. 

‘I trust you have everything you need?’ Baekhyun’s grandmother said, entering the kitchen. She had spent the last few days buttering Baekhyun up with food, wanting him to be fed and healthy before he left on his journey to Elyxion. She said this trip would be a bit different than the last, but Baekhyun still needed all the strength he could get. ‘You should be on your way, it’s almost noon!’ 

‘Yeah, I was just on my way out,’ Baekhyun got up and put his bowl away, rinsing it. ‘I was just telling Sehun about Chanyeol, and his, you know, Elf-ness.’ 

‘Which I’m supposed to be jealous of!’ Sehun scoffed, ‘You better bring him back home once in a while, I want to see him! Or maybe he can just come back and leave you over there, it doesn’t matter to me.’ 

Baekhyun stuck out his tongue at Sehun, rolling his eyes. After a while, the topic of Chanyeol was a common one in the house, with Sehun bringing him up more than Baekhyun’s grandmother did, which was a lot. Almost every day he was bombarded with questions, ranging from what type of food Chanyeol liked, how he dressed, what his style of humour was like, and, when Baekhyun’s grandma was out of ear shot, how he was in bed (which Sehun was _dying_ to find out). 

It wasn’t long before Baekhyun was convinced he needed to go back to Elyxion, fully realizing his feelings for Chanyeol. It felt so silly, as if they were staring at him in his face the whole time. The grief and shame Baekhyun felt for leaving Chanyeol was still so apparent, yet he found comfort in the advice his grandmother gave him; she said she had made the same mistake when she was young too, feeling like she wasn’t equipped to fit into that world. It took a while, but Baekhyun slowly started to feel okay about himself and about his decisions, the regret turning into excitement at the prospect of seeing Chanyeol again. 

Of course, Baekhyun worried day and night about him. About how Chanyeol was doing, if he was keeping himself healthy, if he was mad at Baekhyun or even worse, if he had already moved on. Yet Baekhyun knew that he had known Chanyeol for what he purely was, not for what Kris warped him in his mind to be, and he trusted himself. He had the memories of him to put him in his place and remind him of what he was doing, who he was doing it for. 

The day was June 21st, the first complete Solar eclipse of the year. Baekhyun had been waiting for this day for months; it was the only day where he could travel back to Elyxion the only way he (unfortunately) knew how: through the well. 

It was sunny and hot, almost stifling with how humid it was outside yet Baekhyun didn’t care. All he could think of as he prepared to leave was Chanyeol: his eyes, the cute mole on his nose, his lips and his voice that would sound so sweet in Baekhyun’s ear if he got the chance to hug him again. 

And Baekhyun would. He was sure of it. 

He put on his sweater and tied his shoes as he was getting ready to go, not needing more than his ring to take him to Chanyeol’s world. The three of them (Baekhyun, his grandmother and Sehun) had been anticipating this day for a while now, already content in their goodbyes and excited for Baekhyun to get part of his heart back. They were all romantics at heart, after all. 

  
  


‘I should be going now,’ Baekhyun said, standing by the back door. His grandmother and Sehun took turns hugging him, extra tight. He wouldn’t be back for a while, and they knew it. 

‘I kind of have someone waiting for me.’ Baekhyun grinned as he looked at his grandmother, the first well of tears breaking out. 

‘I’m so excited for you, Baekhyun. And so happy.’ she said as she hugged him again, Baekhyun smiling at Sehun over her shoulder. 

‘Me too, Baekhyun,’ Sehun moved closer, a blush on his cheeks. ‘I’ll miss you, but I have to say it’s nice seeing you like this. I haven’t seen you this excited about something in a long time.’

Baekhyun pulled away from his grandmother, this time wrapping Sehun in a hug, on his tippy toes to match his height. 

‘God, I’ll miss you,’ Baekhyun said, letting the hug go on for as long as Sehun wished, which was more than he expected. ‘I’ll tell Chanyeol all about you, okay? And I’ll be back to visit soon!’ 

Sehun smiled, eyes turning into crescents. ‘Got it. Now get a move on, you have a long way to go!’ 

\---

Baekhyun couldn’t believe his eyes; it was exactly like he remembered it. 

The well in front of him looked almost frozen in time, perfectly preserved from when he was here before. The grass around the well wasn’t even unruly, the stones were in perfect position and everything seemed out of a story book. It was a huge contrast to the state of the rest of the garden.

Baekhyun crouched down, ready and waiting for the eclipse to start. He knew this routine well, practicing it in his mind for days on end. It was just like how he did it before; he’d wait for the sun to be covered, the sky to turn dark, and he’d jump. 

There was nothing more to it. 

The whole thing seemed easy, almost too easy. Baekhyun had a million and one questions for his grandmother, who apparently used the well to travel back and forth numerous times. She explained that in order for Baekhyun not to resurface in the reservoir, he’d need to jump in and perfectly envision where he’d like to end up. 

If Baekhyun envisioned it right, he’d wake up there. 

There weren’t too many places Baekhyun had committed to perfect memory; his memories of people were more vivid, with his specific memory of surroundings more blurry than anything. The only option Baekhyun had that he was confident in was his room back at the foundation; it was safe and secure, and Baekhyun knew how to find Chanyeol from there. It was perfect. 

After a while, the sky began to darken, with the sun starting to become fully covered by the moon as the eclipse reached full potential. Baekhyun’s heart rate picked up; he only had one chance to do this and he needed to do it _right,_ if not, he’d have to wait another couple of months, and he couldn’t have that. 

He stood up, standing right beside the well. The wind around Baekhyun picked up, making the trees surrounding him let go of their leaves and fly into the sky. The air around him shifted; it was almost time.

Before, Baekhyun would have been nervous about the sudden shift in environment; to someone else, it could appear dark and foreboding, a bad omen of what was to come. But Baekhyun knew better, and knew of the world that was waiting for him, within reach despite being so far away. 

Finally, Baekhyun saw the sun turn black, completely covered after what felt like an eternity. The earth underneath Baekhyun’s feet seemed to vibrate; the energy of his surroundings was so intense, Baekhyun almost felt anxious. He stepped on the stones of the well, a mere inches from falling in. 

Baekhyun looked down at the darkness underneath him, welcoming it with an open mind and a hopeful heart. 

_He could do this._

He needed to do this; Chanyeol was on the other side, and as long as Chanyeol was there, he’d be safe. 

He held his breath as he counted to three, letting his feet do the work. Eyes closing as the world around him went dark, Baekhyun fell, this time on purpose, and with so much desire within him he could barely contain it. 

The ring around his finger burned, but Baekhyun didn’t flinch away. He learned to accept the warmth, to relate it to himself and to find solace within it. This tiny object, once the subject of his confusion now created a sense of security within Baekhyun; it was a part of him now, something he couldn’t imagine his life without. He thought of Chanyeol on the other side with his own identical ring, a mere chance of fate that he’d have a matching one. Baekhyun recalled the look on his grandmother’s face when he told her of Chanyeol’s identical ring, of the amazement that there was a matching set somewhere in the universe, waiting to be found. 

Baekhyun opened his eyes, completely surrounded in darkness and falling at god knows what speed, but feeling calm. It was as if the world around him slowed, gravity ceasing for one moment to let his mind focus on his destination, on the man waiting for him, on the tiny ‘forever’ glowing bright red before him.

That tiny word meant the world to him; for Baekhyun, it meant Chanyeol.

\---

Baekhyun woke up feeling dazed, not groggy but as if there were a fog covering his consciousness and obstructing him from seeing or thinking clearly. 

He wasn’t tired or sore, nor was he confused.

No, he was exactly where he meant to be. 

He opened his eyes and looked up to the familiar beige tinge of the ceiling, and to the window on the far right. If he turned his head he could see his bed, and if he titled it up he could see his nightstand, as he expected. 

Baekhyun was in his old room. 

Not surprisingly, it looked exactly like he left it. Clean, sterile, almost robotic in how meticulous everything was placed. He got up from where he was laying on the floor, looking down at his ring and mentally thanking it for bringing him here safely. This sure beat waking up in a frantic splashing of water. 

Baekhyun’s limbs were sore, his head mildly pounding from the trip, but he couldn’t give it more than a second’s thought when he remembered why he was here in the first place. He held his weight against the table beside him, bracing his body against it as his mind caught up to him. Baekhyun could only think of one thing, one person he needed to find immediately and hug so tight he’d never let go. 

He needed to find Chanyeol. 

The door to Baekhyun’s room was never locked, which Baekhyun confirmed as he opened it, peering out into the hallway. It was mid-afternoon, probably a couple hours since he first appeared in Elyxion. He knew the foundation’s schedule, and knew that around this time, everyone was either out in the garden or tending to their own errands in the town. Barely anyone was seen walking up and down the hallways as Baekhyun exited his room, at least no one Baekhyun knew. 

He wanted to keep it that way; the only person Baekhyun needed to see in that moment was Chanyeol. He had been practicing what he wanted to say for what felt like forever, and the anticipation inside of him was starting to bubble over. Chanyeol only ever really kept to three places: the garden, the room that he showed Baekhyun when he first got to the foundation, or his own house. 

He walked down the hallway heading to the garden, the most probable area; Baekhyun had to start somewhere. 

Baekhyun tried his best to be discrete, not attracting too much attention to himself. He cut corners, rounded hallways where he knew barely anyone would be walking through, anyone except- 

‘ _Baekhyun?_ ’ 

Baekhyun froze in his footsteps as he saw the man in front of him, hair combed back and neat, white coat adorning his chest. Nothing had changed about him, nothing at all. Baekhyun half expected him to have a hint of surprise in his face as he saw him round the corner, but there weren't any signs of that at all; if anything, he looked satisfied. 

‘I was wondering when you’d show up.’ Yixing’s tone was calm, soft. He looked at Baekhyun as if he was greeting an old friend, happy just to see his face. ‘You’re looking for Chanyeol, yes?’ 

Baekhyun looked on, knowing better than to fake an act of surprise at his words. Of course, of _course_ everyone in the entire universe knew what was going on better than him. 

‘Yixing!’ Baekhyun finally said, remembering what he was there for. ‘God, yeah I am. How did you know?’ 

‘The moment I saw the burgundy hair, Baekhyun, I knew.’ Yixing’s smile was contagious, so sweet and harmless Baekhyun instantly felt more at ease. ‘He’s at his house. It’s only a short walk away, do you know it?’

‘Yes, I do!’ Baekhyun said as he continued his walk, picking up pace. ‘Thanks, I promise we can catch up once I’m done!’ 

Yixing just laughed as he watched Baekhyun run off, burgundy hair bouncing. He smiled to himself, content that Baekhyun was finally back, and right on schedule. 

He’d have to tell Jongdae about it. But first, he figured he’d let Baekhyun and Chanyeol have a few hours to themselves. 

\---

Chanyeol’s house wasn’t that far away, only being about a fifteen minute walk, a ten minute run if you cut the right corners, which Baekhyun did. When he got to Chanyeol’s house he was on the verge of a sweaty mess, hair ruffled and jeans dirty but he didn’t care. After months without seeing him, wallowing in his own mistake, Baekhyun was ready. 

He approached the door to Chanyeol’s house, pausing once he was in front of it. Baekhyun breathed deeply, inhaling and then exhaling; he wasn’t his usual, anxious self, not today. He let his heart do all the work this time, purely excited and longing to see those eyes that he loved dearly and that smile that made him smile, too. Baekhyun wasn’t nervous as he knocked on the door, waiting for a response. 

This was all him and Chanyeol, just the two of them. Baekhyun didn’t need anything more than this moment, right here. 

He could hear the sound of the door knob rustling, the person inside fidgeting with the lock, probably. It made Baekhyun smile for reasons he didn’t know why. 

He looked down at the welcome mat, which was a plain black color, blank in its appearance. Baekhyun studied it, not noticing it before; it was extremely Chanyeol, and looking at it helped calm his heart rate, for some reason. Chanyeol was the slowest person to ever open a door, he sweared. 

Before Baekhyun could look back up, the door in front of him opened, with two feet coming into view, clad with grey socks that had little stars on them. The owner was wearing black jeans, paired with a black t-shirt and nothing else. Baekhyun smiled as he met eyes with the person in front of him, standing in the doorway looking like someone out of Baekhyun’s wildest dreams. 

It was Chanyeol. 

It was Chanyeol, and his eyes were wide, not in shock but in amazement, his lips on the verge of pouting. He licked his bottom lip, studying Baekhyun in front of him as if he didn’t exist, perhaps a figment of his own imagination. 

But Baekhyun was definitely real; he was real, and he was human, and he was right in front of Chanyeol. 

He figured he should be the first to speak; simple, but the first step. 

‘Hi.’ Baekhyun started, hesitant yet finding courage. ‘I couldn’t stay away. I missed you.’ 

Baekhyun’s breathing paused as he waited for Chanyeol to answer, the latter moving forward. 

‘Baekhyun?’ Chanyeol spoke, so softly. ‘That’s really you, right? I’m not imagining things?’ 

Baekhyun’s heart fluttered at how deep it was, smiling at its depth and timbre; how he could ever leave that voice was beyond him. 

‘Yes, it’s me.’ Baekhyun stepped closer, closing the distance between them. He looked up at Chanyeol’s eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat, determined not to cry. ‘I am so, so sorry Chanyeol. For leaving and for hurting you. For being selfish and for being a coward.’ 

Baekhyun sighed, determined to finish his speech. Chanyeol let him speak, eyes expectant and still lost in Baekhyun. 

‘I… I was too overwhelmed before. With this world, with my feelings, with _you…_ I thought I couldn’t handle it, that my anxiety was proof of how weak I was, but I realized it was because everything was so perfect-’ 

He paused, rewording. 

‘It was because _you_ were so perfect that I panicked. I panicked, and I left without a proper goodbye, but then I went back home and I remembered everything, I remembered Jongdae, Junmyeon, and your mom and the garden and _you_ and your smile and your hugs-’ 

Baekhyun’s words were cut off by Chanyeol pulling him inside the house, arms wrapping around him and Baekhyun’s face against his chest as Chanyeol hugged him, totally wrapping Baekhyun in his warmth. 

The smaller was speechless, half caught off-guard because he was sure Chanyeol would be mad, and half-surprised because he knew he didn’t deserve something from Chanyeol this early. But Baekhyun didn’t focus on that for long, letting himself be enveloped by Chanyeol’s warmth, feeling the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. 

It all felt so real so quickly, and Baekhyun closed his eyes, willing his own tears away. 

‘Chanyeol, I know that-’ 

‘I love you.’ 

The words cut right through Baekhyun like a knife, causing him to tilt his head up and look at Chanyeol. He wasn’t prepared for what he saw, and it made his heart shatter in the most beautiful way, reaching something deeper than happiness or reunion. 

Chanyeol was smiling down at him, the biggest, toothiest grin Baekhyun had ever seen, his eyes watery as he looked down, tears threatening to spill. It wasn’t like before on the bridge when Baekhyun was sure he had broken Chanyeol’s heart; this time, this look was all love and security, trust and risk. 

It was Chanyeol, and he loved Baekhyun. 

‘I love you.’ He said again, keeping Baekhyun in place against his chest. ‘I just wanted to say that before you went off on some sort of huge apology.’ 

Baekhyun couldn’t believe it, breaking out into a laugh against Chanyeol’s chest, tears falling from his eyes. He figured he looked like a crying, laughing mess, but he didn’t care. His heart was reeling, and he had something he needed to say. 

‘I love you too, Chanyeol.’ Baekhyun thudded his head against Chanyeol’s chest, feeling him tighten the hug. ‘I’m kind of hopelessly in love with you. You know, the type that you would cross worlds for.’

That made Chanyeol laugh, head throwing back and then resting on Baekhyun, kissing his forehead. 

‘You have no idea what it’s going to take for me to let go of you from this hug.’ 

‘You don’t have to let go anytime soon,’ Baekhyun said, lifting up his head. He met eyes with Chanyeol, who wiped away his own tears and then Baekhyun’s, the both of them breaking out in smiles at one another once he did. 

Chanyeol looked so beautiful like this: hair messy and smile genuine, dimple poking from his cheek and one eye more crinkled than the other. 

‘Can I kiss you?’ Baekhyun asked, feeling like a lovesick teenager kissing their crush for the first time. Chanyeol looked like he felt the same way, cheeks blushing and ears reddening at the question. 

‘Yes, please.’ He said politely, smiling into the kiss as their lips met. 

Their kiss was soft and sweet, both relearning the motions of each other’s mouths and savouring the taste. Baekhyun bit Chanyeol’s bottom lip, earning a giggle from the taller as he picked him up, Baekhyun’s legs wrapping around his torso. 

Baekhyun gave credit to Chanyeol for how he led them inside while his mouth was occupied, settling them down on the couch and straddling his lap. The position was intimate and it was close, yet Baekhyun had no desire to push any further. 

He wanted it like this, Chanyeol underneath him tasting so sweet, Baekhyun occasionally kissing his teeth from how much Chanyeol was smiling. His hands wandered, first to Chanyeol’s waist then his shoulders, and finally his hair; that black, fluffy mushroom that Baekhyun found adorable and couldn’t wait to run his hands through for as long as Chanyeol would let him. 

After a while they stopped kissing, with Chanyeol pecking kisses up and down Baekhyun’s neck, earning a quiet giggle and a swat of his hand to push him away. Baekhyun was ticklish there, and Chanyeol knew that. 

‘Hey! Stop tickling me,’ Baekhyun poked at Chanyeol’s sides where he knew he was the most sensitive, tickling the area again and again as Chanyeol desperately swatted his hand away, failing and laughing. ‘You’re forgetting that I remember your most ticklish spot!’ 

Chanyeol gripped Baekhyun’s wrists, holding him in place and stopping his movements. He smiled up at Baekhyun, eyes filled with so much adoration Baekhyun felt like he could burst. 

‘God, I’m so happy you remembered me. Those months felt so long.’ 

Chanyeol’s words struck a chord in Baekhyun’s heart, softening his expression. 

‘There’s nothing that could make me forget you, Chanyeol. Not in this world, nor mine.’ Baekhyun said, intertwining his fingers with the taller’s. ‘No matter where you are in this universe. Not a single amount of time could ever be enough with you.’

Chanyeol looked down at their hands, moving Baekhyun’s to his mouth and planting a kiss on it. It was soft and intimate, his lips hovering above his knuckles. Their rings were side by side, shining in the dim light of the room; Baekhyun thought they looked perfect together, he always did. 

It was with a soft smile and a lilt to his voice that Chanyeol spoke, capturing all of Baekhyun’s wishes into one single sentence. 

‘Let’s make it forever.’

\---

EPILOGUE 

‘ _Baekhyun, baby wake up! It’s getting late, I know you don’t want to miss breakfast!’_

Baekhyun groaned, outstretching his limbs and letting out a whine, feeling his muscles stretch and shake. It must have been early in the morning, definitely not even nine yet. He figured Chanyeol only left to make breakfast a short while ago, his spot beside him still possessing a hint of warmth and cocooning Baekhyun in his scent. 

He walked to the window, looking out at the view below him; it was summer, and their flower bed was coming along nicely, sprouting flowers of all different colors. Baekhyun smiled as he saw the tiny section marked off for the red ones, _Chanyeol’s favorite,_ the tiny buds sprouting and starting to grow. It looked like Chanyeol had already woken up to water them, the watering can being discarded right beside it. Like everything else they owned together, that too was painted with Chanyeol’s own custom design; not surprisingly, this time it was tiny orange stars. 

His fiance was always so predictable, Baekhyun thought, yet he loved the fact that he was. It was what made living here so enjoyable; it gave Baekhyun something to grasp onto when he felt unsure of what the next day would bring. 

Baekhyun quickly put on a shirt and went downstairs, but not before slipping on his bracelet. 

It always laid on Baekhyun’s nightstand, ready for him to wear every day; it wasn’t bulky like Chanyeol’s was. It was delicate and thin, fitting perfectly on Baekhyun’s wrist and shining silver in the sunlight. Wearing it always put a smile on Baekhyun’s face, the tiny detailing of it making his heart flutter. The silver bracelet was adorned with tiny gaps in the chain, holding a clear ball within each increment. Each ball held tiny fragments of Chanyeol’s red flower petals (that Baekhyun cried at when he found out Chanyeol had saved them) and was forever preserved in clear resin, adorning the bracelet with a hint of color. 

They were their engagement bracelets, Chanyeol said as he surprised Baekhyun one day ( _Since we already have rings,_ he remembered him saying). 

Chanyeol was just finishing cooking as Baekhyun entered the kitchen, the taller dishing out their breakfast and humming along to a song in his head. He turned around, smiling at Baekhyun even though he had a piece of toast in his mouth, crumbs getting all over his red apron. 

‘Good morning, sleepyhead.’ He managed to say with a mouth full of food, setting down their plates. Baekhyun could see that Chanyeol’s bracelet lay on the kitchen counter; he always took it off when he was cooking. 

‘Hmm, good morning,’ Baekhyun hummed as he kissed Chanyeol’s cheek, sitting down at the table right after. 

Chanyeol’s blush whenever Baekhyun did that never got old, not even if he did it every single morning (which he did). 

‘I got a voice message from Jongdae, he said he’ll need your help today, _again.’_ Chanyeol laughed, scooping some of his eggs into his mouth. ‘He said he’ll stop by at around noon and bring his supplies. Supposedly dyeing his hair red isn’t going as well as he thought.’ 

Baekhyun smiled at the thought of Jongdae completing irreversible damage to his hair, all because Baekhyun dared him to. ‘I don’t think he’d ever be able to match my color, y’know.’ 

‘I know,’ Chanyeol smiled, ‘No amount of dye could replicate what you have, Baekhyun. You’re welcome.’ 

Baekhyun flicked a piece of his egg at Chanyeol, missing and hitting the floor instead. 

‘Did you hear back from Junmyeon? About the promotion?’ 

‘Yeah, he said it was mine if I wanted it,’ Chanyeol was preoccupied with his pancakes, using the fork and knife in a way that Baekhyun had never seen before. It was kind of goofy and uncoordinated, but Baekhyun found it cute. It was Chanyeol. 

‘I’m not sure if I want to take him up on his offer, though. Executive director is a lot to take on.’ 

‘It’s up to you, Yeol. I’d be happy with anything, just as long as I don’t get any less time with you.’ 

Baekhyun walked over to where Chanyeol was sitting, pushing his plate out of the way and sitting on his lap. He rested his head on Chanyeol’s shoulder, the latter continuing to eat despite holding Baekhyun tight against his waist so he wouldn’t fall. 

‘When you’re away for work all day, I miss you. I don’t want to share.’ 

‘Which reminds me,’ Chanyeol started, looking down at Baekhyun. ‘We have to plan that trip back to your grandmother’s house at some point, right? Maybe for the fall?’ 

‘Maybe. Maybe for the fall, maybe Christmas, maybe later.’ Baekhyun closed his eyes and let his head rest on Chanyeol’s chest, still sleepy from before. He couldn’t help it; Chanyeol was so, so warm. ‘I just want it to be you and me, for now.’

‘It’ll always be you and me, Baekhyun.’ Chanyeol rubbed Baekhyun’s back, voice soft. ‘Forever, remember?’

‘Mm-hmm.’ Baekhyun hummed, relaxing against him. 

Chanyeol finished his food, letting Baekhyun keep his perch on his lap. He was never fussy whenever Baekhyun decided to be clingy, he himself was clingy most of the time, too. Chanyeol knew when Baekhyun just needed to be held; sometimes he was anxious about his job as an intake specialist for the foundation, or he had another dream where he woke up in a world away from Chanyeol, alone and without a way back. 

He couldn’t count the times he fell asleep like this, head on Chanyeol’s chest while they talked, sometimes in the morning, or during the middle of the afternoon, most of the time at night. Chanyeol always had a way of lulling Baekhyun to sleep, even if he was feeling anxious about something they both knew he couldn’t control; he was Baekhyun’s safety, always putting into words what Baekhyun couldn’t, soothing anxieties he didn’t even know he had. 

It was simple: Chanyeol was Baekhyun’s home, and for that, Baekhyun was thankful. 

Before, Baekhyun had always thought that he'd be satisfied with a partner he can share the best moments with, laugh with the hardest and give the best of himself to. 

But it wasn’t the brightest moments or the best of himself that made Baekhyun fall in love with Chanyeol, he came to realize. 

It was the doubt, the worry, the risk he took with his heart and the crash that came afterwards. It was the unfamiliarity, the indescribable feeling of starting a new chapter of your life but finding someone who you can hold on to and keep close. It was the nights he and Chanyeol spent talking, sometimes sharing tears, other times laughing so hard they had to force themselves to stop. It was the night Chanyeol first wrapped his arm around Baekhyun, so light and delicate but so reassuring and secure at the same time. 

To have someone you can communicate with through a look in the eye or the nod of your head, to not only have at the end of the night but also at the beginning of every day was worth every second. For Baekhyun, that was Chanyeol, and he considered himself pretty damn lucky. 

It might have taken Baekhyun a gifted ring, an accidental fall down a well and a trip across the universe, but he had Chanyeol. 

He had Chanyeol, and he had him forever.


End file.
